Breed Description

Domestication
■ Hominids and early man were hunters for

millions of years
■ Sheep and goats date back to as early as

7 000 BC in the Near East
■ Central Asia  Europe  America

Small stock production
■ Rearing livestock is an old-age tradition and
indeed, part of the cultural heritage of rural life
■ Since the pre-historic time, livestock have been

part of human life
■ Man domesticated animals even before

agriculture
■ Sheep and goats are of ancient origin in RSA

(2000 years)
■ Sustenance remains an important objective of

livestock production in many rural communities
Description of breeds (>200 breeds in
the world)
• TYPE: meat/wool/dual purpose
• ORIGIN: Place where it was developed / originated
• DESCRIPTION: Color, body frame, skin folds, ear lobes, female disposition, male disposition, body conformation
• PRODUCTION NORMS: Breeding characteristics – No of kids/lambs born (triplets or twins), ovulation rate (eggs produced/doe), Age at 1st
breeding, number of kids weaned/number of does breeded
• PRODUCTS: meat, milk, skin, wool, cashmere
• DISTRIBUTION: area bound due to environmental conditions
• NUMBERS: Regional
Sheep and goats breeds
Special instruction : Please read documents loaded on efundi

Documents: 2014002, 2014014 - 2014030
CLASSIFICATION OF SHEEP BREEDS
GENETIC COMPOSITION OF CERTAIN SHEEP
BREEDS IN SOUTH AFRICA
BREED GENETIC COMPOSTION
Merino Pure Merino 100 %
SA Mutton Merino (SAMM) German Mutton Merino 100%
50% SAMM
Afrino 25% Blinkhaar Afrikaner
25% Merino
Dohne-Merino Merino 50%

SAMM 50%
Dormer Dorset Horn 50%

SAMM 50%
Dorper 1.Blackhead Persian
2.
Ile de France 1. Ra……
2………
Vandor 1. Van Rooy
2.
3.
Van Rooy 1. Blinkhaar Afrikaner
2.
3.
Identify the breed of your choice with reasons as a
farmer based in the Northwest province
HISTORY, MORPHOLOGY AND
PRODUCTION CHARACTERISTICS OF
THE MAIN SHEEP BREEDS IN SOUTH
AFRICA
MERINO
■ Productive capacity
– It is a seasonal breeder i.e. one

lambing per annum
– Adaptability and distribution in the

RSA
– Different sheep types do best

under different grazing conditions
SAMM
Morphology
– The SAMM is a large animal in terms of both

frame size and liveweight
– Mature rams weigh 100 – 120 kg
– Mature ewes weigh 60 – 90 kg
– The sheep have a good mutton conformation,

having well fleshed back, loin and thighs.
– The sheep also have a strong constitution,

with strong legs, which enable them to walk
long distances in search of grazing and ewes
on heat.
Production Characteristics
■ Fertility
– The breed is highly fertile
– There is a high incidence of twins and triplets
– The lambing percentage is usually 120 – 140

%
– The breeding season extends virtually

throughout the year
– Thus lambing can take place at any time that

is convenient to the farmer
Mothering ability
– The ewes have high milk production when

grazing is adequate – high weaning weight
– The advantages of high weaning weight ?
– High growth index for weaner production

enterprises results:
– Greater profitability
– Lower post weaning mortality
– Cheaper to finish
Meat Production
■This is late maturing breed
■The lambs are capable of rapid

growth rates and good feed
conversion ration (FCR)
■The lambs grow faster and more

efficiently than SA Merino lambs
■The breed is well suited to feedlot

finishing systems.
Wool Production
■ The breed produces fine to medium

wool of good quality, which is nearly
equal to pure Merino wool
■ Income from wool is usually able to

cover the costs of maintenance of ewes.
■ There are no skin folds.
■ Ewe produce a fleece = 3 – 5 kg/annum
■ Rams produces > 5,5 kg per annum

Dohne Merino
■ History and Development
– This is non-woolled, mutton breed
■ It was developed in the RSA prior to
World War II
■ The breed was obtained by crossing

the Dorset Horn and the Blackhead
Persian breeds
Breed characteristics
■ Morphology
– Mature rams weigh 100 – 120

kg
– Mature ewes weigh 75 – 85 kg
– They have a white body and

legs, with a black head and
neck
WHITE DORPER EWE
WHITE DORPER RAM
BLACK HEAD DORPER
■ Fertility
■ The Dorper is noted for its high fertility and
long breeding season
■ The lambing percentage is normally 100 –

110 %
■ It is possible to obtain three lambing crops

in two years
■ Dorper rams are very sexually active and

can be used at an early age
■Mothering Qualities
– The ewes look after their lambs 

low lamb mortality
– They are also high milk

producers high lamb growth rate
 high weaning weight
Mutton characteristics
– Dorper lambs are capable of high growth

rates
– A fat lamb of 38 kg can be obtained at 5

months of age under semi-extensive
conditions
– The Dorper also yields excellent

carcasses, especially when the lambs are
marketed early
– There is a tendency to become too fat on

high planes diets
■Adaptability
– Dorpers are noted for their hardiness
– They are very well adapted to arid,

extensive grazing conditions
– At the same time, the breed adapts well

to more humid conditions found in higher
rainfall areas
– Their back covering of wool and hair gives

them protection in cold weather
conditions
BLACK HEAD DORPER EWE & LAMB
Blinkhaar Ronderib
Afrikaner
■ Developed
– Hampshire county England
■ Characteristics
– Black head and legs with wool on
them
– Rams can weigh up to 150 kg
– Ewes can weigh up to 105 kg
■Noted for
– Fast rates of growth and excellent
muscling
Goat breeds
Special instruction : Please read documents loaded on efundi
Documents: 2014002, 2014014 - 2014030
What are the differences
between sheep and
goats?
Meat breeds
B OER GOA T B UCK
■ Developed in South Africa: a result of
successful crossbreeding between feral goats
& African breeds (Red Boer, African Boer,
Nubians)
■ Two improved lines exist in SA
– One line exclusively developed from red head
Boer goat
– Another line developed from unimproved
indigenous breeds – claimed to be tougher &
more robust than red-headed Boer goats.
■ Well-suited to semi-desert & arid conditions
– Hardy, coat colour serve as camouflage from
predators
■ Has a restful temperament and a smooth
short hair coat which is very well pigmented.
■ Excellent mothering ability, good milk
production
■ High fertility and excellent conception rate
– Multiple births – twins and triplets
■ Good growth and good weaning weights
■ Tolerant to internal and external parasites
■ Highly efficient foragers
■ Massive goat meat conformation & carcass
with uniform colour.
■ Demand for this breed is increasing
worldwide
■Developed in South Africa by crossbreeding
indigenous goats with white Boer goats.
■Found throughout the African continent in
use by pastoralists for meat and milk.
■Demand for these goats is high for religious
ceremonies & based on a belief that white
goats have superior carcass qualities.
■High productivity, high muscular
development, and strong bones, legs, and
hooves.
■ A very prominent breed across Kenya,
Uganda, & Tanzania.
■ Resembles goats raised by farmers in
Rwanda, Malawi, Zimbabwe, &
Botswana.
■ Small size goats with short hair, short
erect ears, and a variety of coat colors.
■ Used mainly for meat and also for skins.
■ Early maturing but twinning rate is low.
■ Adult goats in this breed weigh about 30
kg.
Fiber breeds
Morphology
■ Angoras are small, white animals with lop

ears and short twisted horns
■ They grow a fleece of white, wavy, lustrous

locks
■ The best locks are those, which cut into

ringlets
■ Mature does weigh 30 kg
■ Mature bucks weigh 40 – 80 kg

■Mohair Production
– The average fleece weight, with two shearings
per year , is 3.7 kg for does and 4.4. kg for
bucks.
– The overall average is 3 kg/year with an average

length of 13 – 15 cm.
– Spinning counts range from 60s (kids) to 32s

(Mature); 24 – 45 µm thickness.
– The finer the mohair, the better the quality and

price.
– The younger animal, the finer the mohair and

the smaller the fleece weight
■Meat production
– The average carcass weight is low with
poor conformation and fleshing
– Many farmers sell locally to workers
and to crocodile farms
■Fertility
– The breeds have a short breeding

season
– In RSA, the breeding season runs from
April to July
■The name originate in Kashmir, a
mountainous region in NorthWest
India bordering Pakistan.
– Breed is also known as Pashmina,
Changthangi, Mongolian, Tibetan,
Xinjian.
■Breed is usually white with long hair,
twisted horns, ears are either erect or
horizontal
■The fiber (luxurious fiber of kings) is a
secondary hair shed by goats during
the spring & is very fine in diameter.
■More than 60% of the world's
cashmere is produced in China.
■Breed is easy to raise, needs
minimal management.
■They are not agile, thus easy to
contain.
■Need shelter in summer coz their
insulating dual coat that is shed.
■They are sheared once a year
■An adult buck will produce about 1.1
kg of fleece, which contains guard
hair & about 20% cashmere.
Milk goat breeds
ALPINE BUCK
SAANEN
Nubian
■ Large, graceful dairy breed with droopy
long ears.
■ Not a high milk producer but milk contain
high levels of fat.
■ Has a longer breeding season than Swiss
breeds.
■ Adapts to hot environment thus been used
for upgrading programs for meat & milk in
tropical countries.
■ Adult buck: ±80 kg; Doe: ±61 kg.
■ Mainly horned, but can also be polled.
Nubian breed

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Domestication

■ Hominids and early man were hunters for

■ Sheep and goats date back to as early as

■ Central Asia  Europe  America

■ Since the pre-historic time, livestock have been

■ Man domesticated animals even before

■ Sheep and goats are of ancient origin in RSA

■ Sustenance remains an important objective of

• TYPE: meat/wool/dual purpose

• ORIGIN: Place where it was developed / originated

• PRODUCTS: meat, milk, skin, wool, cashmere

• DISTRIBUTION: area bound due to environmental conditions

Special instruction : Please read documents loaded on efundi

Merino Pure Merino 100 %

SA Mutton Merino (SAMM) German Mutton Merino 100%

Dohne-Merino Merino 50%

Dormer Dorset Horn 50%

– It is a seasonal breeder i.e. one

– Adaptability and distribution in the

– Different sheep types do best

– The SAMM is a large animal in terms of both

– Mature rams weigh 100 – 120 kg

– Mature ewes weigh 60 – 90 kg

– The sheep have a good mutton conformation,

– The sheep also have a strong constitution,

– There is a high incidence of twins and triplets

– The lambing percentage is usually 120 – 140

– The breeding season extends virtually

– Thus lambing can take place at any time that

– The ewes have high milk production when

– The advantages of high weaning weight ?

– High growth index for weaner production

– Lower post weaning mortality

■This is late maturing breed

■The lambs are capable of rapid

■The lambs grow faster and more

■The breed is well suited to feedlot

■ The breed produces fine to medium

■ Income from wool is usually able to

■ There are no skin folds.

■ Ewe produce a fleece = 3 – 5 kg/annum

■ Rams produces > 5,5 kg per annum

■ The breed was obtained by crossing

– Mature rams weigh 100 – 120

– Mature ewes weigh 75 – 85 kg

– They have a white body and

■ The lambing percentage is normally 100 –

■ It is possible to obtain three lambing crops

■ Dorper rams are very sexually active and

– The ewes look after their lambs 

– They are also high milk

– Dorper lambs are capable of high growth

– A fat lamb of 38 kg can be obtained at 5

– The Dorper also yields excellent

– There is a tendency to become too fat on

– Dorpers are noted for their hardiness

– They are very well adapted to arid,

– At the same time, the breed adapts well

– Their back covering of wool and hair gives

■ Angoras are small, white animals with lop