The Blackhead somali sheep (also known as Swartkoppersie) is a fat-tailed breed of

domestic sheep Sheep (: sheep) or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are a domesticated, ruminant mammal 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 ...

from

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

. The sheep is originally from

Somalia Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...

and a direct descendant of the

Somali sheep The Somali sheep, Somali language: Ido Soomaali occasionally known as the Somali Blackhead sheep, is a hair sheep native to Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya. Overview The Somali sheep is the direct forebear of the Blackhead Persian, the latte ...

. The breed is also a type of hair sheep, meaning they do not grow

wool Wool is the textile fiber 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 some properties similar to animal w ...

and tolerate heat better than wooled breeds and are raised primarily for

meat Meat is animal Tissue (biology), tissue, often muscle, that is eaten as food. Humans have hunted and farmed other animals for meat since prehistory. The Neolithic Revolution allowed the domestication of vertebrates, including chickens, sheep, ...

. The Blackhead Persian has a white body and, as their name would suggest, an entirely black head.

Characteristics

The Blackhead Persian is a polled breed with both sexes lacking horns. It has a black head, with long pendulous ears, and a black neck and a white body, with a clear line demarcating the two colours. The rump and the base of the tail have an accumulation of fat. The breed was specifically bred for the large quantity of fat stored in the tail region which gave resilience in arid conditions and which was prized for cooking. On average at maturity, rams weigh and ewes . At birth, rams and ewes weigh about . Ewes lactate for approximately 84 days, produce of milk with 5.9% fat.

History

Despite its name, the Blackhead Persian originated in

and was imported into South Africa in about 1870. A South African studbook was set up in 1906. By 1930 there were 4000 registered animals. In the 1950s there were estimated to be two million Persian Blackheads in South Africa, and they had also been introduced to Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Ghana. Since then it has been imported into the Caribbean region, Central and South America for cross-breeding purposes.

Crossbreed development

It was crossbred with local breeds in South Africa and also was "improved" by crossing it with such breeds as the

Dorset Horn The Dorset Horn is an endangered British breed of domestic sheep. It is documented from the seventeenth century, and is highly prolific, sometimes producing two lambing seasons per year. Among British sheep, it is the only breed capable of bre ...

creating the successful breed now called

Dorper The Dorper is a South African breed of domestic sheep developed by crossing Dorset Horn and the Blackhead Persian sheep. The breed was created through the efforts of the South African Department of Agriculture to breed a meat sheep suitable to ...

. And the Ghana black-headed nangue is a cross with a Djallonké sheep and a black-headed Persian. Bernard Faye et Hamadi Karembe, « Guide de l'élevage du mouton méditerranéen et tropical » DF sur doc-developpement-durable.org

References

External links

{{commons category, Blackhead Persian

Sheep101.info Sheep breeds originating in South Africa Sheep breeds

Characteristics

History

Crossbreed development

See also

References

External links