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 Also
Known By: American Tunis
The Tunis is one of the oldest breeds indigenous to the United
States. It is a medium-sized meat-type sheep characterized by
creamy wool, copper-red colored faces & legs, pendulous ears,
and minor fat deposits over the dock area.
Tunis pictures - top 3 at right:
Origin and History
The American Tunis evolved from a number of importations of
fat-tailed sheep from Africa and the Middle East in the late
18th and early 19th centuries. These sheep were crossed with
some established European breeds to improve the meat
characteristics.
The earliest documented importation occurred in 1799. They came
as a gift to the U.S. from the ruler of Tunisia, his highness
the Bey of Tunis, and were entrusted to the care of Judge
Richard Peters of Pennsylvania who became an outspoken advocate
of the breed. By the 1820's, Tunis were in much demand by
butchers in eastern Pennsylvania. Descendants of Judge Peters'
sheep, as well as additional importations of fat-tailed sheep
became established in Maryland, Virginia, North and South
Carolina, and Georgia. Thomas Jefferson imported "broad-tailed"
sheep and kept them for many years. He preferred them over his
Merinos for their mutton and wool-producing attributes. The
breed was quite popular as in 1892, Ezra Carmen in a chapter of
A Report of the Sheep Industry of the U.S. wrote, " But for the
introduction of the fine-wooled Merino, these Tunisian sheep
would probably have become disseminated throughout the U.S., and
in some of them have become the prevailing flocks."
Economic Utility
Some breeders desire to preserve and utilize a heritage breed
for its own worth. Others are investigating the economic uses
for the American Tunis. Their role in crossbreeding has
traditionally been to produce premium lambs for the hot
house/ethnic market on the Eastern seaboard. This is one of the
reasons Tunis have remained so popular in the East while
remaining almost unknown in other parts of the country. Tunis
are also known for their disease resistance and their ability to
remain productive on marginal land. They also exhibit a
tolerance for both warm and cold climates.
Fleece Quality
Tunis wool is a lustrous 24 to 30 microns, long-stapled 4 to 6
inches that has found favor in many fiber and textile
enterprises. Ewes typically shear a fleece weighing 6 to 9
pounds of this 3/8th's blood, 56 to 58 spinning count wool.
Physical Description
At birth, Tunis lambs weigh 7-12 pounds. Mature rams in breeding
condition weigh between 175 and 225 pounds and measure 28-30
inches at the withers. Mature ewes should be 25 to 50 pounds
lighter and 2 to 4 inches shorter. Individual animals in show
condition will likely exceed these weights. The breed is alert
and their eyes as well as ears convey intelligence and grace.
When Tunis lambs are first born they are red or tan in color. A
white spot is sometimes present on the forehead and on the tip
of the tail. The lambs gradually turn white as the wool grows
although the hair on the face and legs retains a reddish or tan
color. Both rams and ewes are polled. Some sources also report
an ability to breed out of season.
Although Tunis are currently listed as rare with the American
Livestock Breeds Conservancy (Box 477, Pittsboro, NC 27312), the
NTSR has surpassed 1000 lamb registrations per year. Attesting
to the breed's wider acceptance and growing popularity there has
been a steady increase in registrations for the past 10 years.
Sheep are extremely beneficial. Some of the many resources sheep
provide include: meat, pelts, wool, manure for gardens, lanolin
and fat for soap and candles, and waste wool for insulation.
They are excellent for mowing the grass!
Katahdin sheep (bottom picture right) are a breed
of hair sheep developed in the United States. The Katahdin breed
originated at the Piel Farm in north central Maine where Michael
Piel was an innovator and amateur geneticist who enjoyed raising
livestock. His first intentions related to establishing a sheep
enterprise were to use sheep to graze power lines instead of
spraying or mowing the vegetation. He then developed other ideas
on how to employ sheep for land management.
In 1956 and 1957, Piel began making inquiries about hair sheep
after seeing pictures in a National Geographic magazine of West
African hair sheep.
In the early 1970s, Piel felt he had come close to his goal of a
"meat sheep that did not require shearing." He selected from his
large flock approximately 120 of the best ewes and called them
"Katahdin" sheep after Mt. Katahdin, the highest peak in the
state of Maine.
Katahdin are hardy, adaptable, low maintenance sheep that
produce superior lamb crops and lean, meaty carcasses. They do
not produce a fleece and therefore do not require shearing. They
are medium-sized and efficient, bred for utility and for
production in a variety of management systems. Ewes have
exceptional mothering ability and lamb easily; lambs are born
vigorous and alert. The breed is ideal for pasture lambing and
grass/foragebased management systems. Katahdins are docile so
are easily handled. They exhibit moderate flocking instinct.
The Katahdin can be used in crossbreeding programs. When crossed
with wool sheep, the first generation offspring will in most
cases have wool fleeces with hair intersperse. It usually takes
at least 3 generations, depending on the type of wool sheep
parentage, to obtain offspring with a shedding hair coat and
other purebred characteristics.
NSTR registered Stock. Top Quality bloodlines. Ram available for
service. Lambs for sale by reservation.
Due to our work and show schedule,
kennel visits are by appointment
only
SOVREIGN FARMS
Myakka City, FL 34251
 
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