By Roelof Bezuidenhout
Some say the Persian sheep has a cute little head; others think its rump is downright ugly. But Persian sheep breeders are quietly confident that they are developing a modern animal for a lucrative niche market. And in a sausage, the meat certainly shines.
The most recent National Persian Sheep Championship drew strong entries from both stud breeders and commercial farmers, a clear sign that this light-framed, fat-tailed breed is making a comeback. Once one of South Africa’s most popular breeds, the Persian was gradually edged out more than 70 years ago by Merinos, imported English mutton breeds, and various crosses.
The Persian is unlikely to rival modern breeds for prime farm space, but it can generate solid seasonal income – especially during the hunting season, when its uniquely flavoured, oily fat becomes a prized ingredient in venison droëwors. The long-standing shift towards leaner carcasses – which began even before World War II – has led to a chronic shortage of quality sheep fat, making the Persian particularly valuable in winter.
Origins of the Persian breed in South Africa
Had it not been for a storm at the Cape of Good Hope 155 years ago, South African farmers might never have had either the Persian sheep or the Dorper.
Around 1870, Thomas Tennant Heatlie, a progressive farmer from Worcester, boarded a ship that had taken shelter from a storm near the mouth of the Breede River. On-board were four black-headed, fat-tailed sheep the captain had bought in the Persian Gulf and was keeping for meat.
Heatlie bartered other slaughter animals for the sheep, and transported the Persians to his farm, where they quickly began to multiply – likely with the help of crossbreeding with indigenous sheep – despite one ewe being killed by a bull. He later sold some of the offspring to farmers in the Karoo and Orange Free State. From there the Persian spread as far as Namibia and Zimbabwe.
More Persians were later imported from Saudi Arabia, but they failed to match the locally adapted line, which is now recognised as a distinct South African breed.
The breed society was established in 1937 but became inactive during the war, and started up again in 1948. By then, the Dorper – developed from the Blackhead Persian and Dorset Horn – was well on its way to becoming South Africa’s leading mutton breed.
Today, there are about 8 000 registered Persian stud ewes in the country. Commercial flocks range from 30 to 50 ewes per farm in the Eastern Cape’s “kudu belt” to a couple of thousand in the more arid Northern Cape, where some farmers claim Persians do better than Dorpers. In fact, some Dorper breeders occasionally reintroduce Persian rams into their flocks to help restore fertility and boost the fat content of the meat. Kalahari farmers also use Persian rams on Dorper ewes to produce smaller but faster-growing winter lambs.
Hardy and attractive
The Persian is known as a hardy, low-maintenance breed, capable of covering long distances on its dainty legs, and needing remarkably little water. It once had a reputation for being hard on the veld, likely because farmers tended to overstock it during the early pioneering days. In reality, its smaller frame means you can keep about 1,3 Persians for every standard mutton sheep.
But it’s important not to take the easy-care idea too far. Although Persians require less veterinary attention under extensive conditions than many other breeds, achieving good economic returns still depends on proper care and flock management. Predator control in particular is crucial.
The breed’s distinctive emblem, a large ram standing underneath a thorn tree, was based on a photograph specially staged near Hopetown in 1983. The planning and creativity behind the image, long before the days of digital photography, speaks to the dedication of the Persian community. The breed society continues to run judging courses and information days to promote the modern Persian as “drier” than its predecessors, meaning it has less overall body fat, with improved fat distribution. While the breed retains its signature fat-rumped look, a tail that hangs too low can lead to mating problems and urine scald.
Persian farmers say the breed is also well suited to small-scale and smallholder operations. These sheep are docile and easy to manage, and they stay put – they’re unlikely to crawl under or jump over fences.
Farmers can choose from a range of colour types, including Blackhead, Redhead and Speckled varieties. The black and red colourations originated from one of the first imported ewes, which produced one red-headed and one black-headed lamb soon after arriving in the country. The striking Speckled varieties were later developed by crossing Blackhead and Redhead rams with solid-colour Afrikaner sheep. These sheep can yield particularly valuable skins, with Persian pelts typically grading as Cape Glover, regardless of the animal’s age.
Because each colour type is so distinct, the breed standards are especially strict about colour distribution and the presence of any markings or spots.
Persian traits
• Persian sheep have a long breeding season, a high twinning rate, and small lambs that are typically born without complications.
• They are light-framed but grow quickly.
• Lambs dress out at nearly 50%, yielding 12–13 kg of fat. As the animals age, fat accumulation increases. The best results are achieved with wethers that have cut four teeth – they can weigh up to 70 kg, with nearly half of that being fat. The tail alone can weigh up to 10 kg.
• Once the fat is trimmed off, little meat remains on the chops and other cuts, making the entire carcass ideal for making sausage – especially venison sausage.
• Well-fed ewes can weigh 60–70 kg, and large rams may reach 80–90 kg. On dry veld, however, ewes usually weigh closer to 50 kg.
• Breeding ewes remain relatively scarce, with quality animals fetching between R800 and R2 000. Approved rams typically sell for about R3 500.
