The Breeding Aim for
German Kamerun (Cameroon) Sheep
The Cameroon-sheep is a small, resistant hillbreed that requires little management. It has a deep body with well arched ribs and fine legs. The ewes are polled. The rams typical traits are strong horns and a ruff. Cameroon-sheep have short tails which don’t need to be docked. They carry a smooth and dense coat, and during winter, a pelt. The winter-pelt is shed naturally during spring.
Herdbook-controlled animals show a red-brown skin with a black stomach and black inner sides of the legs as their typical colour. However, there happen to be animals which show the inverse pattern: black body and red-brown stomach and inner parts of the legs and even single-coloured black sheep and painted sheep occur.
Kamerun-sheep are fertile, they enter sexual maturity from about 5 months on. They breed out of season with the possibility of two lambings per year. Fertility rate is 150% which means 2-3 weaned lambs per year. They lamb easy without help.
Lifeweight of adult rams is 40-50 kg. Adult ewes weigh 30-40 kg. Yearling rams weigh 30-35 kg. Adults rams stand 60-70 cm at their withers, adult ewes about 58-65 cm. Cameroon-sheep have a lifespan of 10-12 years.
Most breeders keep them for meat. They aim at well pronounced back and haunches. Mature lambs (5-8 months) produce a carcass of 10-16 kg. The meat is red and tastes more game-like rather than lamb-like. This exquisite taste does not dwindle away, even if one slaughters old sheep.
For more in-depth information please visit the web-pages of the Cameroon-Breeders Association http://kamerun-schafe.de/.