Barbados as a result of urbanization and the tourism industry, has led to the decline and over grazing of natural pastures for barbados blackbelly sheep. About barbados blackbelly sheep and gypsy wind farms. And it is widely distributed in more than 25 countries worldwide, mainly caribbean and south america. Having been raised originally on barbados, an island with limited pastures, the sheep that thrived were the ones who learned to eat a diverse diet of not just grasses, but weeds and woody browse as well. Sheep for sale knoll acres barbados blackbelly sheep. Barbados blackbelly sheep association intl home facebook. Feed substitution in barbados blackbelly sheep production. To find out more or ask about a visit to our farm, contact us. Barbados blackbelly sheep combine the rare attributes of adaption to widespread.
In 2004, there were fewer than 100 barbados blackbelly sheep in the u. Barbados blackbellies are a species of hair sheep nearly lost to extinction in the us. Sheep books for blackbelly shepherds books you might want on your bookshelf. Polled barbados blackbelly sheep have a very narrow genetic base in the united states. Frequently asked questions about barbados blackbelly sheep. The production parameters of the barbados blackbelly and. If you have a polled ram, please contact me immediately. In 2012, we now have over 1,200 registered animals. However, in older ewes, fertility of blackbelly x dorset ewes was consistently 100%, even in spring.
Barbados blackbelly breeders fall into three groups, and many may belong to more than one group. Knoll acres barbados blackbelly sheep is a small farm located in the shenandoah valley of virginia, about 4 miles west of harrisonburg, virginia, usa. Barbados blackbelly are a relatively small, tropical hair sheep valued because they require minimal care no shearing or docking, are very hardy in all climates, generally produce twins without assistance, and provide exceptionally mildflavored, lean meat. Resulting hybrids produced poor horn growth that interfered with the animals faces. While our sheep are descendents of sheep evolved in the tropics, barbados blackbelly sheep retain the ability to adapt to the cold of our area with a heavy coarse coat which is shed in the spring. Articles from bbsai newsletters barbados blackbelly. The basics with a little land, knowhow, and a bit of help, raising sheep is a practical way of obtaining meat and fiber. For more information on barbados blackbelly sheep, follow the link. American blackbelly sheep are a composite breed created by crossing the barbados blackbelly with the mouflon and the rambouillet. There is frequently confusion about the name of this breed.
I want to thank teresa arrechea for helping me get. They are wonderful at clearing brush and controlling weeds. That fueled the barbados blackbelly conservation effort, and saved a breed from extinction in the united states. Barbados blackbelly sheep association international bbsai.
Sheep books for blackbelly shepherds barbados black belly. Some articles from the bbsai newsletters are standalone, but most are linked to the newsletter in which they were published. It is also known by some other names such as barbados barriga nigra or simply as black belly. We are not doing these breeds any service by confusing people. The barbados blackbelly is a hair sheep breed that evolved on the island of barbados in the caribbean. Our trophy class rams are noted for their lean, finegrained, and mild meat. This is a wikiyou can add info and photos to help other readers learn how to care for blackbelly sheep. The american blackbelly sheep is a hair sheep, originally developed by crossbreeding programs involving primarily mouflon and barbados blackbelly. Today the breed is raised mainly for meat production. These are exceptional photos of exceptional sheep of both breeds. Breed history bush creek farm barbados black belly.
The demand for this sheep in barbados is quite high and because the island is unable to meet the demands, this sheep is now commercially raised and imported from several tropical countries. American blackbelly sheep are extremely easy to care for and require no. How to house them and feed them can be found in almost any book about sheep. The barbados blackbelly sheep is a breed of domestic sheep that was developed in the caribbean. The first barbados blackbelly sheep to be imported to america was in 1904 when the sheep caught a lot of interest from texas. American blackbelly sheep welcome to the homesteading. We normally sell them after they are fivesix months old and after we have received registration papers for them. Typically every year we have a group of ram and ewe lambs that we sell as breeding stock. In the united states and canada, the animals are referred to as barbados. Listed below, in order of what i feel are the most useful, are books that you might want to have on your bookshelf.
American blackbelly sheep are thrifty, energetic, smalltomedium sized shearless hair sheep with a strong flocking instinct, and easy keepers. Barbados black belly sheep breed everything you need to know. Barbados blackbelly sheep are polled horns bred out of the species. Now making a comeback, these sheep provide a healthy, and unlike wool sheep, deliciously mild tasting alternative to traditional meat choices. The barbados blackbelly sheep association international bbsai welcomes both barbados blackbelly and american blackbelly and has a herdbook for each. Breeds of livestock barbados blackbelly sheep breeds of. Carol was heading to a hair sheep symposium, sponsored by dr. Beautiful barbados blackbelly sheep learn about the barbados blackbelley sheep and how they may be an ideal breed for the small acreage or beginning farmer. The barbados blackbelly sheep association international bbsai is the international registry for barbados blackbelly sheep and american blackbelly sheep. Performance of blackbelly crossbred ewes in different.
Wildeus at vsu, when james harper invited her to come to his place and select a flock. The barbados blackbelly sheep does not have wool but instead, is covered with coarse hair. Cherish the peace of mind that your new sheep and lambs are healthy, conform to breed standard and are genetically viable take pleasure in the ease of becoming a breeder because we are committed to your success with the precise mentoring you need. Barbados blackbelly sheep are a little more agile than typical commercial breeds, but youre right. Barbados black belly sheep welcome to remember when farm. Barbados blackbelly sheep grass fed lamb grown for.
At mother earth news, we have been educating folks about the benefits of selfreliance for 50 years. Information about raising barbados blackbelly sheep. Training barbados blackbelly sheep tricks bbsheeplady. The fertility of young blackbelly x dorset crossbred ewes in november breeding averaged 92% and was similar to that of finnsheep ewes. Sheep farming in barbados is normally a secondary interest and as such a. Please join the community of american blackbelly and barbados blackbelly sheep breeders who have written this book and add your expertise. The barbados blackbelly both sexes are naturally polled.
This registry is dedicated to the preservation of a unique genetic resource the barbados blackbelly hair sheep. You have discovered the best, biggest, most reliable source of information about blackbelly sheep available on the internet. The main alternative andor supplement to grazing for sheep is the use of highcost feed concentrates provided by pinnacle feeds, ltd. Barbados blackbelly reproduce nonseasonally, meaning that they breed and lamb yearround, and the ewes maintain pregnancies throughout the heat of the summer.
Today a small group of dedicated breeders are committed to the preservation of this rare breed of original barbados blackbelly sheep. The barbados blackbelly is all but extinct in the u. They are also used for their beautiful cashmere wool. Black belly barbados sheep rams competing for dominance of the flock. Ligon 1657 attributed the high prolificacy of the barbados blackbelly sheep to a tropically adapted wool breed which was established in barbados during the first quarter century of colonization. Recipes that make cooking lamb a fun and delicious adventure. By the time youve read even half of whats on this site, you will know more about barbados blackbelly and american blackbelly sheep than 99. On their island of origin, that name seems to be unknown. Articles about raising barbados blackbelly and american blackbelly sheep.
Their hardiness allows them to easily be raised naturally. Jan 31, 20 there are two breeds of blackbelly sheep, barbados blackbelly rams have no horns and american blackbelly rams have majestic horns. Information about raising blackbelly sheep barbados blackbelly. In the case of guyana, nurse et al 1983 studied and reported on the performance of barbados blackbelly sheep and their crosses at the ebini research station in. The bbsai is the international registry for both barbados blackbelly sheep and american blackbelly sheep. The hair is a rusty brown on its back, hindquarters and h ead. The cross occurred because breeders wanted to increase the carcass size of the small barbados blackbelly, and they wanted the rams to have a rack of horns.
American blackbelly hair sheep check availability on the for sale page. The barbados blackbelly breed descended from hair sheep brought to the island of barbados by african slave traders during the 1600s. They can survive on land that is a lot more marginal than would be suited for most sheep. See more ideas about sheep, sheep breeds and goats. Nine mile sheep ranch check out our face book page for. The barbados blackbelly sheep is a breed of domestic sheep from the caribbean island of barbados. Here are several timesaving forms to help you in your sheepraising effort. Listed below, in order of what i feel are the most useful, are books that you. For those interested in breed conservation, barbados blackbelly are easycare sheep, suitable for people with a busy lifestyle, or those who are living offgrid and selfsufficiently. Raising bummer lambs on a bottle barbados blackbelly and. All proceeds from the sale of this cookbook support the barbados blackbelly sheep association intl and its effort to prevent this beautiful breed of sheep from disappearing in the u.
Barbados blackbelly sheep thrive in the hot, humid environments that are challenging for most sheep but also do well in colder climates. The herdbook of the nabsr will remain permanently open to any individual sheep which passes inspection and has adequately. Croix hair sheep lambs fed pasture or haybased diets. Soon after, they closed the barbados blackbelly registry to prevent any crossbred genetics from entering the common gene pool. Review of literature of cr barbados blackbelly sheep. Black spanish goats are a rare heritage breed that are hardy, beautiful, productive and extremely efficient for brush control. The reproductive performance of the various ewe types is shown in table 1. We have had them fight to the death on many occasions and why i attempted to. Knoll acres barbados blackbelly sheep registered hair.
Raising sheep the easy way bbsai brochure barbados. Barbados blackbelly sheep at springwood farm in central virginia, raised and loved by two veterinarians. Barbados blackbelly sheep are known for their excellent tender and mild meat quality, their ease of care, their resistence to disease and parasites, and their prolific allseason breeding and lambing. Barbados black belly jump to navigation jump to search. Blackbelly sheep dont need a lot of chemicals or a lot of intervention, but having the following few items on hand when lambing is a good idea. Black is also found on the underbelly, along the throat, the inner legs, above the eyes. The blackbelly were loosely managed in texas and often crossed with mouflon which is a feral horned sheep as well as rombouillet sheep breed. That includes researching and sourcing the best books. Barbados blackbelly sheeps ability to adapt and high reproductive efficiency make them the perfect candidate for homesteading.
To see our current offering check the sheep for sale page on this website. The barbados black belly is a breed of domestic sheep from the caribbean island of barbados. There are fewer than 200 barbados blackbelly sheep in the u. If you are interested in starting a flock of barbados blackbelly sheep, consider purchasing some of our lambs. Both are closed, meaning that only sheep whose parents are registered can be registered themselves. You will have more time for other activities while your labor inputs are reduced with barbados blackbelly these sheep almost take care of themselves. We raise registered barbados blackbelly sheep and typically have some for sale. Growth performance of barbados blackbelly, katahdin and st. As of december 2011, the bbsai estimates that there are 740 registered american blackbelly sheep and 1120 registered barbados blackbelly sheep. Barbados sheep were recommended to me because they dont climb like goats and shed out on their own.
Information is available on the performance of the barbados blackbelly and crossbred sheep throughout the caribbean. The breed descends from crosses of african hair sheep. Beautiful barbados blackbelly sheep sustainable farming. Why we raise blackbelly sheep miles away farm blog. Like other breeds of sheep, they live to be 10 years old. Although it is likely the barbados blackbelly has african ancestry, there seems to be clear evidence that the breed, as seen today, was developed by the people on the island from sheep brought by ships fairly early in the period after europeans first arrived.
392 1332 1456 107 1445 1274 720 1474 1054 297 1018 297 1356 511 444 153 1205 525 1503 1046 1099 368 1438 1505 506 485 1253 453 1354 692 729 690 394