Other names | Cape fat tail |
---|---|
Country of origin | South Africa |
Traits | |
Wool color | White |
Face color | Red, black |
Notes | |
Adept to desert conditions | |
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The Afrikaner sheep (also known as Cape fat tail) is a breed of fat tailed, hair sheep indigenous to South Africa.
Afrikaner sheep are one of the oldest native sheep breeds in South Africa, along with sheep such as the Damara, Blackhead Persian, Pedi, and Zulu (Nguni). [1] Their ancestors were brought down from the middle east by the Khoikhoin people. [2] Ronderib Afrikaners are thought to be the first sheep imported to Australia, with the First Fleet in 1788, but today are very rare in the country. [3]
There are two varieties of Afrikaner sheep; The Namaqua Afrikaner and the Ronderib Afrikaner. Their long, fat tail is an energy store which helps them survive long dry seasons, when fat or lipid breaks down it provides energy and water at the same time; hydrogen is present in all lipids, although hydrogen is not water when not combined to another molecule it automatically grabs two oxygen molecules and becomes H20 water, the rest of the molecules associated with the lipid become energy and combine to form other nutrients.[ citation needed ]
The Namaqua Afrikaner is known for its hardiness in extreme environmental conditions. [4] It is a slender, lanky sheep with a fat tail, and is not particularly favored for modern lamb production. Namaqua Afrikaners are generally white with a red or black head, and large fat tails. What the breed lacks in market meat desirability, it makes up for in its foraging ability and hardiness in desert conditions. [5]
The Ronderib Afrikaner is one of the larger breeds of South African indigenous sheep. There are two known sub varieties of this breed, one that has soft, fine, shiny hair being the Blinkhaar Ronderib Afrikaner, and the Steekhaar Ronderib Afrikaner having coarse hair, which was thought to be extinct. However, twenty animals were found in 1995 on a farm near Upington. The ribs of both are oval in cross section rather than flat. It is these two characteristics of coat and rib shape which distinguish this distinctive breed. Like the Namaqua Afrikaner (mentioned above) the breed is very adept to desert conditions and is remarkable for the long Seasons it can survive with little or no water. The Ronderib Afrikaners show further characteristics of desert animals in that, similar to the gemsbok, their heels are close together. The aim of the old Ronderib breeders was to develop sheep with shiny coats suitable for making of skin blankets. [6]
The Old English Sheepdog is a large breed of dog that emerged in England from early types of herding dog. Obsolete names for the breed include Shepherd's Dog and bob-tailed sheep-dog. The nickname Bob-tail originates from how dogs of the breed traditionally had their tails docked. Old English Sheepdogs can grow very long coats with fur covering the face and eyes and do not shed unless brushed.
Karakul or Qaraqul is a breed of domestic sheep which originated in Central Asia. Some archaeological evidence points to Karakul sheep being raised there continuously since 1400 BC.
The Highland Pony is a native Scottish pony, and is one of the largest of the mountain and moorland pony breeds of the British Isles. Its pedigree dates back to the 1880s. It was once a workhorse in the Scottish mainland and islands, but today is used for driving, trekking and general riding. They are hardy and tough, they rarely require shoeing, and are economical to keep.
The Afrikaner, also known as the Africander, is a breed of taurine-indicine ("Sanga") cattle indigenous to South Africa.
The fat-tailed sheep is a general type of domestic sheep known for their distinctive large tails and hindquarters. Fat-tailed sheep breeds comprise approximately 25% of the world's sheep population, and are commonly found in northern parts of Africa, the Middle East, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, North India, Western China, Somaliaand Central Asia.
The Awassi is a local sheep breed in South-West Asia originated in the Syro-Arabian desert. Other local names can also be Arab, Baladi, Deiri, Syrian, Ausi, Nuami, Gezirieh, or Ivesi (Turkish). It is a fat-tailed type and is multi coloured: white with brown head and legs. The ears are long and drooping.
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 the more arid regions of the country. It is now farmed in other areas as well, and is the second most common sheep breed in South Africa.
The St Croix is a breed of domestic sheep native to the U.S. Virgin Islands and named for the island of Saint Croix. They are often also called Virgin Island White because those that were imported into North America were selected for white coloration. On the Island of St. Croix, they come in shades of brown, white and black.
Rya, also known as Ryafår or Swedish Carpet Wool Sheep, is a breed of sheep that is native to Sweden. The breed originated from the Swedish and Norwegian landrace breeds. This double-coated breed of Swedish Landrace origin also contains some Norwegian Spælsau heritage. The purpose of the sheep was to use the long, wavy, and shiny wool to produce rya-wool, which is often used to make carpets. In the early twentieth century, few long wool sheep remained in the province of Dalarna, leading to the restoration of the rya sheep breed. In 2000, there was a stable population of about two thousand rya sheep. They can be found in northern and central Sweden. Most of herds are located in Dalarna. They are usually kept in small flocks.
The Blackhead Persian is a fat-tailed breed of domestic sheep from Africa. The sheep is originally from Somaliland and a direct descendant of the Somali sheep. The breed is also a type of hair sheep, meaning they do not grow wool and tolerate heat better than wooled breeds and are raised primarily for meat. The Blackhead Persian has a white body and, as their name would suggest, an entirely black head.
A xerocole, is a general term referring to any animal that is adapted to live in a desert. The main challenges xerocoles must overcome are lack of water and excessive heat. To conserve water they avoid evaporation and concentrate excretions. Some are so adept at conserving water or obtaining it from food that they do not need to drink at all. To escape the desert heat, xerocoles tend to be either nocturnal or crepuscular.
Animal nutrition focuses on the dietary nutrients needs of animals, primarily those in agriculture and food production, but also in zoos, aquariums, and wildlife management.
The Meatmaster is a breed of domestic sheep native to South Africa. Bred in the early 1990s from various hair sheep breeds, the Meatmaster was created with the goal of improving the meat characteristics of African fat-tailed sheep breeds. The fat-tailed sheep had various advantageous characteristics such as hardiness and suitability for desert life, but was slow to mature, had a poor distribution of fat and lacked the muscling of the hind quarters of European breeds. The composite breed increased the amount of muscle and had a better distribution of fat but retained the hair coat and other desirable traits such as resistance to tick-borne diseases and a good flocking instinct.
The Van Rooy, also known as the Van Rooy White Persian, is a breed of domestic sheep native to South Africa. The Van Rooy was first developed in 1906 by J. C. van Rooy, a South African Senator and farmer in the Bethulie district. The Van Rooy is cross between indigenous Ronderib Afrikaner sheep, and Rambouillets. It is a fat-tailed sheep and also a hair sheep, removing the need for shearing and crutching. They are generally kept for meat production, and are very well-suited to arid climates. Van Rooys are polled, have drooping ears, and are entirely white. The breed is relatively rare, even in South Africa, but has also been exported to Namibia and Zimbabwe.
Australian White is a large, white breed of Australian meat sheep which was originally developed for Australian conditions. The Australian White sheep are a stabilised composite haired meat breed comprising White Dorper, Van Rooy, Poll Dorset and Texel genetics.
The Red Maasai is a breed of sheep indigenous to East Africa. True to its name, the breed is kept by the Maasai, though both pastoralists and smallholder farmers in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda keep Red Maasai flocks.
The Zulu sheep breed is native to South Africa and is predominantly raised by rural farmers in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. It serves primarily as a source of food and income to poor resource farmers. It belongs to the Nguni type of sheep together with the Pedi and the Swazi sheep.
The Pedi sheep is a breed of sheep native to South Africa. And is one of three of indigenous type of sheep, along with Zulu and Swazi, they have been in the region since 200-400 AD. The breed gets its name and characteristics from having been raised primarily by the Pedi people in the north of the country. Pedi are smaller fat-tailed sheep kept for meat, are polled, and are generally white, brown, and red.
The Afrino is a breed of sheep originating from South Africa. It was developed by crossing Ronderib Afrikaner sheep with Merino and South African Mutton Merino (SAMM) sheep, and is classified as a Merino breed.
The Red Brangus is a breed of hybridised cattle developed to optimise the superior characteristics of Angus and Brahman Cattle. The breed's hybridisation stabilises at a ratio of 3/8 Brahman and 5/8 Angus. The breed is relatively new respectively, with the first breeding trial conducted in 1912 in Jeanerette, Louisiana, United States. of America.