Blackhead Persian is one of the fat-tailed breeds which is primarily raised for meat. The breed is originated from Somalia, Africa. The primary purpose of raising the sheep is for meat and leather.
The name Persian came to this breed based on a legend: In 1868, a cargo ship carrying sheep from the Persian Gulf got stranded in South Africa by a terrible storm in the vicinity of the Swellendam region. The white South African farmers knew a good sheep when they saw one and traded their sheep for the sheep on board the boat, which became the foundation stock of the breed.
Blackhead Persian breed information
The head and necks are black in color, whereas the whole body is white with long ears.
They are hardy breed and adaptable for extreme climates.
Highly fertile and have the ability to produce twins in a span of every eight months.
The ewes are fast-growing and heavy muscled.
Both ram and ewe are polled.
They have a fat rump, short legs, and a compact conformation.
The mature ram weighs around 50 kg (110 lbs) and mature ewe weighs around 30 kg (65 lbs).
The ewes can produce up to 50 kg of milk in the 84 day lactation period, with a fat percentage of 5.9%
A 90-day lamb can weight around 13 kg. At the age of 12 months, they weigh on average 40 kg.
Things to know
Blackhead Persian is also called as Somali Blackhead or the Somalis Brazileria.
The breed is developed in South Africa from Somalian sheep.
It’s a hairy sheep, does not grow wool. Being a hairy breed, it can survive in all the humid places like Brazil and the Caribbean.
The sheep are storing the excess amount of fat in the tail, areas of rump around the tail and the dewlap on the neck below the jaw.
The breed is noted for the ability to put on fat in tough grazing conditions.
Due to being a small breed, they require very little space to maintain approximately 1.3 times of Persians per hectare compared to other breeds. Also, they eat less.
Brief characteristics of Blackhead Persian
| Breed Name | Blackhead Persian |
| Other Name | Swartkoppersie, Somali Blackhead or the Somalis Brazileria. |
| Country/Place of Origin | Africa |
| Breed Purpose | Meat |
| Breed Size | small |
| Weight Ram(Male) | 54 kg (120 lbs) |
| Ewe(Female) | 30 kg (65 lbs) |
| Kidding | one or two |
| Good for Stall Fed | open grazing |
| Climate Tolerance | Humid conditions |
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