Premium Membership is now 50% off! Updates? The original stock is the Red Karman from Turkey. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. First imported to the United States in 1840, the breed was successfully molded through selective breeding to meet the needs of a large class of U.S. sheep producers. USEFUL LINKS Outcrossing with English long-wool breeds and selection produced a well-defined breed,[2] differing in several important points from the original Spanish Merino. The size was greater, with full-grown ewes weighing up to 200 pounds and rams up to 300 pounds, live weight. The Rambouillet sheep gets its name from the Rambouillet Estate in Northern France. Where shortly after some were imported to the United States. The Spanish government was so protective of their Merinoflocks that any exportation was forbidden. It has been described as a dual-purpose breed, with superior wool and near-mutton breed characteristics. Through modifications of breeding, the distinct Rambouillet sheep began to appear through crossing with English Long wool breeds. The Rambouillet is a breed of sheep also known as the Rambouillet Merino or the French Merino. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Written By Rachel Snack - January 06 2018. This breed was also used for the development of the "Barbado" or American Blackbelly sheep, which was crossed with Barbados Blackbelly and mouflon for their horns at hunting ranches. First imported to the United States in 1840, the breed was successfully molded through selective breeding to meet the needs of a large class of U.S. sheep producers. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Rambouillet ewes are crossbred extensively with medium-wool and long-coarse-wool rams to produce choice market lambs and rugged breeding ewes with heavy, attractive medium wool. Rambouillets prevail on the western ranges, where two-thirds of the sheep of the United States are produced. The breed has a white face and white legs. Omissions? BREED HISTORY, STANDARDS, FACTS. Distant ancestors of today's Rambouillet accompanied Moorish conquerors to Spain, and their descendants were left behind when the Spaniards drove the invaders out. The Rambouillet breed originated with Spain's famed Merinoflocks, which were known from the earliest times as producers of the world's finest wool. This policy changed in 1786, however, when the King of Spain granted a request from the government of France and sent 359 … The flock was subsequently developed on an experimental royal farm, the Bergerie royale (now Bergerie nationale) built during the reign of Louis XVI, at his request, on his domain of Rambouillet, 50 km southwest of Paris, which Louis XVI had purchased in December 1783 from his cousin, Louis Jean Marie de Bourbon, Duke of Penthièvre. It is also known as the French Merino and the Rambouillet Merino. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. The development of the Rambouillet breed started in 1786, when Louis XVI purchased over 300 Spanish Merinos (318 ewes, 41 rams, seven wethers) from his cousin, King Charles III of Spain. The face covering of wool is rather heavy, even to the extent of causing wool blindness in some specimens, but selective mating has alleviated this problem. Sheep barns at the Experiment Station in Rambouillet, France. History of the Rambouillet Sheep. In 1889, the Rambouillet Association was formed in the United States with the aim of preserving the breed. Corrections? [4] Rambouillet stud has also had an enormous influence on the development of the Australian Merino industry though Emperor and the Peppin Merino stud. The breed is named after Rahmania, a village in the Beheira Governorate in the North The wool clips were larger and the wool length had increased to greater than three inches. In 1786, King Louis XVI imported around 360 Spanish Merinos after the relaxation of the export of sheep. RAMBOUILLET HISTORY. Rambouillet, breed of sheep, developed from selections of a few hundred of the best Merino sheep of Spain in 1786 and 1799 by the French government at its national sheepfold at Rambouillet, France. [3] An estimated 50% of the sheep on the US western ranges are of Rambouillet blood. The Rambouillet is the largest of fine wool sheep. Louis XVI purchased 7 wethers, 41 rams and 318 ewes from his cousin King Charles III of Spain. Fleeces of Rambouillet sheep are relatively heavy. Louis Jean Marie de Bourbon, Duke of Penthièvre, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rambouillet_sheep&oldid=939210456, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 5 February 2020, at 01:27. The Rambouillet is a breed of sheep also known as the Rambouillet Merino or the French Merino. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/animal/Rambouillet-breed-of-sheep. The breed is well known for its wool, but also for its meat, both lamb and mutton. The Rahmani originated in northern Syria and northern Turkey and was introduced into Egypt in the 9th century. The Rambouillet had its origin among the Moors of North Africa during the Fourteenth Century. The flock was raised exclusively at the Bergerie, with no sheep being sold for several years, well into the 19th century.[1]. The development of the Rambouillet breed started in 1786, when Louis XVI purchased over 300 Spanish Merinos (318 ewes, 41 rams, seven wethers) from his cousin, King Charles III of Spain. Black Friday Sale! In the year of 1786, development of this breed started when Louis XVI purchased over 300 Spanish Merinos. The lambs grow rapidly under good feeding conditions to produce satisfactory market weights at from six to nine months of age. The Rambouillet sheep is a breed of domestic sheep from France. The fleece was valuable in the manufacture of cloth, at times being woven in a mixed fabric of cotton warp and wool weft, known as Delaine Merino.[5]. The Merino sheep were sent to the Rambouillet Farm just outside of Paris where the Rambouillet sheep breed have now been bred since 1801. 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