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Spotted Hair Sheep Aimed At Trophy Market
Rare Painted Desert Sheep have a lot of good qualities, but it's their horns that attract buyers. The colorful, prolific ewes breed year round, lamb twice a year and produce two, three or more lambs at a time. Painted Desert sheep require no shearing, have few disease and parasite problems and handle heat and cold equa
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Spotted Hair Sheep Aimed At Trophy Market AG WORLD 26-5-23 Rare Painted Desert Sheep have a lot of good qualities, but it's their horns that attract buyers. The colorful, prolific ewes breed year round, lamb twice a year and produce two, three or more lambs at a time. Painted Desert sheep require no shearing, have few disease and parasite problems and handle heat and cold equally well, thanks to their heavy, winter-hair coats which shed naturally with the return of warm weather. Yet, it is the big horned rams with their heavy manes that bring in the money.
"A gold medal class ram may sell for $800 to $1,500 or more at an exotic animal sale in Texas," says Anita Garza, Painted Desert Sheep Society founder and registrar, Needville, Texas. "A black and white ewe will easily sell for $500 or more, bred or not. Fancy colored ewes sell from $250 to $500."
Although the breed has only had a registry for about 10 years, the roots of the breed include Corsican, Merino and Rambouillet. Some breeders have introduced Jacob or the Navaho Churro to get four or more horns, while others have used Alaskan Dall and Rocky Mountain Bighorn to improve horn size and shape.
Breeders select for multiple colors as well as horn shape and size. All animals have to exhibit the natural shedding characteristic, leaving only a hair coat over the summer. Rams may reach 200 lbs. in size and be 30 in. or more at the shoulder. Ewes may range from 60 to 120 lbs. and 21 to 25 in. at the shoulder.
It is the small size that attracted Judy Jenkins, a breeder from Crosby, Texas. She runs 40 head on a small acreage near the Gulf of Mexico and selects for color and size of horn. Ironically, success at producing a trophy-potential ram also limits breeding opportunities.
"It's tough finding a really good ram, because they get sold to the hunting ranches," she says. " Most animals go to hunting ranges or for breeding stock."
Ewe lambs are retained for breeding stock, while surplus ram lambs often go for barbecue. The lack of lanolin in the fat of the hair sheep is thought to reduce the strong flavor of lamb.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Anita Garza, Painted Desert Sheep Society, 11819 Puska, Needville, Texas 77461 (ph 979 793-4207; E-mail: cascabel@txucom.net; Website: www.elcascabel.com).
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