The Dorper was originally bred from the more arid regions of South Africa in the 1930’s. Stefan says the potential of Bergplaas Merino ewes to produce outstanding fat lambs is illustrated by 150 commercial ewes mated to Dormer rams that produce fat lambs off the veld at an average … The Meatmaster sheep is a breed of domestic sheep from South Africa. The focus in breeding is mostly on meat production, but they are also very hardy and with good mothering instincts (inherited from their Damara … The fibre fineness ranges from 30- 44microns with the lambs-wool at the finer end. Have a try – it’s fascinating! The Damara, on the other hand, is one of only a few sheep breeds in Southern Africa that, over the millennia, walked all the way down Africa with their African pastoralists. Damara sheep. It was developed from various hair sheep breeds in the early 1990s. Damara is also a domestic sheep breed originated from Eastern Asia and Egypt. Neil was awarded the Advance Australia Award for outstanding contribution to sheep breeding in Australia 1990 by the Federal Government. The sheep's milk is good for you. It rarely contains ‘kemp’, brittle, white fibres which do not dye easily. The breed is exceptionally vigorous and can produce and reproduce where water and grazing is fairly restricted. The older sheep-wool is a little too coarse for use in garments and not so lustrous. They live on and from the land, roaming freely in the countryside, and re-grow their fleece every year. The health of the sheep is usually reflected by the quality of its fiber. We are members of the Damara Sheep Breeders' Society of Australia Inc (Stud Number 14), and the Damara Growers Group. They have adapted to extreme climates and harsh environments across many countries such as Egypt, South … The selection for coloured wool sheep is therefore a long process. The fleece is also quite curly and similar in some ways to mohair. This resulted in a breed rich in fitness traits such as its high resistance to most sheep diseases and internal parasites. It was created with the goat of improving the meat characteristics of African fat-tailed sheep breeds. #13. Ewe have yourself a merry christmas! Lambs have distinctive “baby coats” of long, curly hair. Oct 15, 2016 - Krinkhout Stud: Damara Sheep, Northern Cape Lob-Eared Speckled Goats (Kaapse Skilderbokke) Groblersdal and Marble Hall, in Limpopo They have long, oval and fairly deep body. Hales says the wool they were dealing with was karakul, an important ingredient in the carpet yarn-making process. You can raise the breed for both the wool and meat production. The anatomy of its rump allows Damara sheep to stand on their hind legs like a Boer goat. Damara sheep graze grass and forbs (40%) as other sheep do, but also browse (60%) in a similar fashion to goats. I believe that was the start of the shedding sheep … Damara sheep can survive in a harsh environment and under poor nutritional conditions. The Dohne Merino is a dual purpose breed providing meat and fine wool. Damara Sheep. The crossbred "Damino" rams have been exported live at premium prices and the ewes have gone into … The Damara has short, coarse hair, only producing wool in winter, which then naturally sheds in summer. Because our sheep are pets, we have … The Finn sheep wool was ideal for spinning and crafts, while the Damara sheep had ''hair rather than fleece'' so did not need to be shorn, making them an ideal lifestyle sheep, Mrs Foster said. Currently, those who raise sheep to get milk, turn it into dairy products such as ice cream, yogurt, and cheese. Damara sheep, native to African countries, have large fatty hindquarters and little wool, so can be mistaken for goats. Of interest, as Damaras went into decline from an estimated flock size of 100,000 in Queensland to less than 50,000 and Dorpers increased in favour, Damara cross ewes were and are used as a desirable dam for breeding up programs by many Qld meat sheep producers with outstanding results and high market acceptance of their “meat master” lambs. Step 3: Loosen the wool . Nov 18, 2016 - Damara Sheep, description and photos. Textbooks and journals grew to be the only means of storage - these were in vogue right up to the 1980s when library ‘improvements’ and photocopying killed them. The “harvested” wool . Found mainly in the north of England. We intend to fill our freezer soon. Step 2: Collect the wool that comes out . Fat-tailed sheep breeds comprise approximately 25% of the world sheep population, and are commonly found in northern parts of Africa, the Middle East, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, North India, Western China, Somalia and Central Asia. Fun Times We Have Had! Sep 15, 2020 - Explore EJ Steenkamp's board "Damara sheep", followed by 120 people on Pinterest. What attracted us to Damaras was: they can be used immediately to convert Australia's huge and sometimes unprofitable Merino flocks to low maintenance meat sheep. The Damara has in the process been exposed to the vagaries of nature. The Rare Breeds Conservation Society of New Zealand lists and describes rare and minority breeds that it aims to preserve and promote. Aug 25, 2017 - Farmers have worked land and livestock since ancient times, but agricultural writing really only started in the late 1700s. The ewes appear feminine, whereas the rams are more robust and masculine. The Damara sheep are large animals with relatively long appearance. Wool loss in sheep is considered usually a negative sign. The Bergplaas stud flock produces on average 5kg of wool per sheep, while the wool clip averages a fibre diameter of 21 microns. They can be uni-coloured (black, brown or white) or multi-coloured (black and white pied). Neil Garnett made his name in the fine wool industry. It has a long and narrow fat tail and short hair, but develops a woolly undercoat that is shed in summer. Below there is a little tutorial how to felt a perfectly round and firm ball from Damara wool (hover over the picture and click on the description at the bottom of the picture to read the instructions). Barbara Gillham/Fairfax NZ Damara sheep … Step 1: Scratch a Damara sheep . It has the typical characteristics of a desert breed, namely long legs, fat tail, short hair and a respiratory rather than a cylindrical conformation. See more ideas about sheep, goats, animals. DAMARA sheep are a unique breed of meat sheep. Sheep for Eating or Lawn Mowing. Having fun on the cattle ramp! Shearing takes place in October, with shearers sourced from BKB. Rare Breeds livestock of New Zealand. This UK breed is classified as a long-wool and lustre. Read more: Damara Sheep. This breed can survive in a harsh environment and under poor nutritional conditions. There is, however, a market for naturally coloured wool fleeces which are sold mainly to the handcraft industry at a premium. The top-line over the head is arched. Meatmasters are fat-tailed hair sheep (meaning they lack wool which requires shearing), come in a diverse array of colors, and may be either horned or polled. If the wool loss is frequent then this problem must be brought to light. #14. Wool is grown naturally on sheep. You cannot deny the fact that the sheep's milk contains some of the most important nutrients to keep the body healthy. The Damara sheep is a functionally efficient animal. The length is approx. Their wool has a staple length of 8 to 18 inches with a count of 36s to 46s / 41 to 33.5 microns. The Merino is an economically influential breed of sheep prized for its wool. "They stepped into Damara ewes and all of a sudden they went from selling a $30 Merino to an $80 Damara ewe to the live export trade. We have F2 ram lambs in prime condition ready to eat. Wensleydale. Damara third cross (F3) and Damara fourth cross (F4) resemble purebred Damaras. 80-150mm. They do not need shearing as they shed the little wool they have. We have had a few lambs and they are one of the most gorgeous looking baby animals I have ever seen. The meat of the Damara is low in fat and cholesterol and their milking ability is quite high. Head . Writer's own photograph. He was once Australia's most successful merino breeder, setting an industry record - that has stood for 30 years - of $450,000 for a ram. Bai-yun’s fleece . This is in direct contrast to synthetic fibres, which need oil and refineries to be produced. They are indigenous to Egypt, East Asia and North Africa. The Lincoln sheep breed is the largest of sheep breeds from the UK and boasts the longest, most lustrous and heaviest of wool coats. At the Congress I met some of the world's foremost geneticists with an interest in the coat colour of domestic animals. Devon Closewool. Both rams and ewes have spiralled horns. The Damara sheep store their fat in their tails. Writer's own photograph. Damara second cross (F2) are more consistently bare-legged, bare-bellied and with less wool. The breed originated in Southwestern Iberia, but the modern Merino was domesticated in New Zealand and Australia. These sheep have been exported to many countries as a sire breed used to improve the wool quality of other sheep breeds. Colouring can be brown, white, black or multi-coloured. If you want sheep for their wool, then this is not the breed to have. The Damara sheep is a large animal originally from Namibia. It drops down in the neck, rising to the withers from where it declines slightly to rise again over well developed loins. Raising healthy and productive Damara sheep for milk and wool has been done since ages past. The Damara sheep can tolerate heat very well, can survive on little food and water and are capable to walk long distances. The head is of moderate length and width. Anglesey farmers Peter Williams … It is relatively a large breed in terms of shoulder height. Primarily, you can raise the breed … Now is the time to try some Damara cross sheep for eating. This is a domestic sheep breed and originated from the Exmoor region of southwest England. Sheep is Losing its Wool / Probable Causes of Hair Loss in Sheep . Moreover, these ‘sheep-goats’ have a particular fondness for wattle, a fact that Stan has used to his advantage. The diameter of the wool fibre very much influences the end use of the wool and, with a micron count of between 29 and 35, the breeds in this category are used for cloth, bedding, futons and in hand knitting yarns. The Damara is a fat-tailed sheep that grows short, coarse hair. The Dorper sheep is well known for its ability to adapt and survive in a variety of climatic and grazing conditions. The fat-tailed sheep is a general type of domestic sheep known for their distinctive large tails and hindquarters. Damara Sheep (like Brahman cattle) improve most features of every other meat sheep they are crossed with but it is useful if the second breed adds something, and does not detract too much. Read more: Merino Sheep. The wool from downland sheep breeds is generally densely grown, springy and has a short staple. The wool loss in sheep may be frequent as hair loss in humans. Our Dorper's have bought us so much joy.