The Bizet is a domesticated

breed A breed is a specific group of domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist several slig ...

sheep Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus ''Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated s ...

originating from

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. It grows

wool Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have properties similar to animal wool. As ...

but is primarily raised for

meat Meat is animal flesh that is eaten as food. Humans have hunted, farmed, and scavenged animals for meat since prehistoric times. The establishment of settlements in the Neolithic Revolution allowed the domestication of animals such as chic ...

. In 1952, the Bizet was introduced on the

Kerguelen archipelago The Kerguelen Islands ( or ; in French commonly ' but officially ', ), also known as the Desolation Islands (' in French), are a group of islands in the sub-Antarctic constituting one of the two exposed parts of the Kerguelen Plateau, a large ...

. It is utilized as food for the scientific station there.

Characteristics

Rams have horns and ewes are polled (hornless). At maturity, rams grow to and ewes at the withers. On average, rams weigh and ewes . Ewes can lamb up to three times in two years.

History

The breed was developed between 1830 and 1900 by crossing first with the Caussenards breed, then with the Southdown and Dishley English breeds. In 1905, steps were taken to start standardizing the breed.

References

Sheep breeds originating in France Sheep breeds {{sheep-stub