|
Tarasconnais
French
EFABIS Data
 |
International Name |
Tarasconnais |
|
Local Name |
Tarasconnais |
|
Location |
Pyrenees and Sud-Ouest |
|
Breeding females
(year) |
150.000 |
|
Trend of population size |
Decreasing |
|
Flock book established |
|
Origin – history
The breed probably
originates from a Syrian population that was imported during early
invasions of the region. Over the centuries it has experienced many
infusions of foreign blood, notably the African Merino, the
forefather of the Spanish Merino, which was imported by the
Iberians, conquerors of Spain. There was a wide range of very
diverse flocks that were all improved over the course of the 19th
Century, to varying degrees, by breeding with early English breeds
(Leicester, Dishley) and Danish breeds (Friesians). More recently
Rambouillets, Soissonais and lastly Dishley Merinos and
Chatillonnais Merinos have been used. The sheep that gave rise to
the Tarasconnais seem to have undergone more limited cross-breeding.
The first references to the Tarasconnais breed date from the late
1930s.
Breed description
The Taraconnais is
extremely hardy being adapted to the landscape, meteorological
changes and variations in fodder that are inherent in the PyrEnEes.
The breeders make the best of these conditions by practising
transhumance. Mating usually takes place before the ascent to the
summer grazing with 80% of the ewes being pure-bred. However this
mating can become extended which leads to a lambing period from
September to March. Given that it is a mountain breed, the
Tarasconnais is well adapted to out of season breeding, achieving a
fecundity rate of 1.23 per ewe. The ewes are also able to produce
enough milk from these environmental conditions to provide a
satisfactory lamb growth rate.
The Tarasconnais is a white sheep with horns on both sexes, the
males being entirely spiralled. They have weak fleece coverage, with
the legs free from fleece. The mature rams weigh 70-80kg, and the
ewes weigh 50-60kg.
Conservation activities
There is an active
selection programme aimed at enhancing the characteristics of the
milk yield and the ability to breed out of season, both important
factors for this breed. Work is combined with the need to ensure the
hardiness of the breed whilst improving growth and conformation.
Ewes are selected based on these important traits and ram lambs
produced from these ewes are selected on breed phenotype and taken
to a breeding centre. Semen from the best rams will be used for
artificial insemination in the breed, therefore advancing these
important traits.
Contact:
U.P.R.A. des Races Ovines des Pyrénées Centrales
28 rue des Pyrenees 31 210 MONTREJEAU
TEL. 05 61 95 68 44
|
