The Van Rooy sheep, also known as the Van Rooy White Persian. It’s the breed of sheep indigenous to South Africa. Back in 1906 Senator Johannes Cornelis van Rooy, of this farm Koppieskraal at the Bethulie district began his experiments to disperse a breed of sheep for slaughter lamb production.
The Origin of Van Rooy sheep
The prerequisites Senator Johannes Cornelis van Rooy put for this strain were:
- The strain had to become strong and sturdy to manage regular droughts.
- It needed to be fertile to be able to keep up a high proportion of generation.
- It needed to possess excellent conformation.
The Van Rooy is cross between native Ronderib Afrikaner sheep, Blackhead Persian, and Rambouillets. Together with the progeny of those inbreeding’s principle, coupled with choice, has been implemented. This choice aimed at size conformation and white sheep with enough wool in between the bristly hair to serve as protection against cold.
Senator van Rooy recognized he couldn’t eliminate fat localization without forfeiting hardiness and fertility.

Van Rooy sheep features
Van Rooy sheep are moderate to large-sized creatures with a completely white body.
The Van Rooy confronts a serious drought successfully, it manages to grow and replicate on the minimal of grazing.
The strain provides strong résistance to elevated temperatures and owns adequate wool covering between the hair to help it withstand cold.
Because it is the thicker skin, it’s also more resistant to infections brought on by external parasites.
The strain thrives from the high rainfall areas of the Eastern Cape Province, Natal and Very Low Veld of the Transvaal. In mountainous areas of South Africa, in addition to regions, the strain performs. In the dryer parts, in which the Van Rooy designed and was bred, it has established itself again and again.
As a result of its hardiness, coupled with its capability to synthesize energy, along with an infinite mating period, the Van Rooy ewe gets on to heat shortly after production, even under difficult situations.
The ewe is a superb mother, taking very good care of her young ones and producing adequate milk for rearing her lamb.
The Van Rooy collects slightly more fat on the carcass than does the non-fat-tailed kind, but it’s this advantage that under adverse climatic conditions the fat is a reservoir.
Van Rooy rams are frequently utilized to create crossbred lambs, which place fat on the carcass in a significantly earlier stage than when crossbreeding 2 non-fat-tailed strains.
Van Rooy breed specifications
The Van Rooy is a moderate – sized to large-framed sheep, and both the rams and ewes are polled. It is fat-tailed.
It’s a dewlap in a chest and the jaw into the brisket and a very prominent chest and brisket.
The top region of the breed body needs to have a woolly combination of hair. On lower regions of the sheep body, legs, and the head, the hair ought to be brief and stalks.
The tail includes 2 components: the key upper part and the switch. The portion affixed as large as you can, and ought to be firm and broad. It’s oval in part to the back, and with a slight tilt at the end where the switch hangs down.
The switch ought to be smooth with short hair and no wool. The dimensions of the tail need to be in proportion with the rest of the sheep.
Van Rooy sheep for Sale
The Van Rooy sheep provides varied opportunities available for Sale:
- Van Rooy ewes could be redeemed through the year and generate lamb frequently, at least three lambs within 2 years. Consequently, there is a lambing percentage preserved.
- The ewe is extremely hardy and adaptable, and extra feeding is hardly ever required.
- Even though the carcass is rated a fat-tailed kind, and the cost per kilograms marginally lower, the skin, on the other hand, lends itself to the creation of gloves, also this manner, the reduction in cost per kilogram is atoned for.
- The Van Rooy will be to a fantastic extent inured to internal parasites and diseases. This reduces costs in connection with labor and medication
- The Van Rooy sheep left the maximum yield per little stock unit in addition to the maximum yield per funding unit.
Breed information of Van Rooy sheep
Breed Name | Van Rooy sheep |
Other Name | Van Rooy White Persian |
Country/Place of Origin | South Africa |
Breed Purpose | Meat |
Breed Size | Medium |
Weight Ram(Male) | 80 kg (176 lbs) |
Weight Ewe(Female) | 60 kg (132 lbs) |
Lambing | single |
Good for Stall Fed | open grazing |
Climate Tolerance | All conditions |
Hello, I am Siddartha Reddy . A fulltime farmer and blogger who love to share all his farming experiences. Also, a strong supporter of sustainable farming practices. Thanks for visiting our site, let’s make this world a better place to live. Say No to Chemicals and plastics.