An American breed of Merino sheep that derives from the historic Rambouillet flock of France, a dual purpose breed kept for both wool and meat. It was established in North America through imports from France between about 1840 and 1860, followed by further stock from Germany between 1882 and 1900, and the Rambouillet Association was formed in Michigan in 1889 to manage the breed's development. It is large among fine wool sheep, adult ewes weighing 65 to 80 kilograms and rams 90 to 135 kilograms, ewes always naturally polled though some rams carry horns, and the breed matures later than most sheep, usually lambing in its second year after a gestation of around 150 days. Rambouillets thrive on the open range of western North America thanks to their hardiness and strong flocking instinct, which helps protect the herd from predators such as coyotes, and their ewe fleeces yield 4.5 to 7 kilograms of greasy wool with staple lengths of 60 to 100 millimeters and a fineness of 19 to 24 micrometers.
Facts
Scientific Name Domestication Region Domesticated When (Circa)between 11,000 and 9,000 BC 1 Primary UsesDual purpose: raised for both wool and meat 2 In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Sheep (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationIntroduction
Sheep (pl.: sheep) or domestic sheep (Ovis aries) are a domesticated ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock.
History
the date of domestication is estimated to fall between 11,000 and 9000 BC in Mesopotamia, from which it spread to Mehrgarh in the Indus Valley around 7000 BC.
History, domestication clause
the date of domestication is estimated to fall between 11,000 and 9000 BC in Mesopotamia, from which it spread to Mehrgarh in the Indus Valley around 7000 BC.
View the Source 2. Wikipedia: American Rambouillet, Wikipedia
UsesQuote, Uses
The breed is dual-use and is reared both for wool and for meat.
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