Charollais Sheep Breed – Everything You Need to Know

The Charollais sheep breed is a breed that originated in France from the same place that the Charollais cattle come from. They are reputed to be an easy lamber and are used as terminal sires to increase growth rates and muscling of lambs. They are most commonly used in the United Kingdom and are also kept for the quality meat!

CHAROLLAIS SHEEP QUICK PROFILE OVERVIEW
These lovely sheep have a pinkish colored head with a kind face and an identifying white flash above their eyes.
Country of Origin:	France
Other Names:	None
Breed Size:	Large
Main Purpose:	Meat
Can be used for	Breed, Meat, Wool **LSC (Landscape Management)
Temperament:	Docile and easy to handle
Ideal Climate:	Most climates
Conservation Status:	Not Listed by the *ALC Status/ Rarity: Common
Health Issues?	No known health issues
Good Starter Sheep?	Novice to intermediate level maintenance
Sheep Associations:	Charollais Sheep Society
Sheep Clubs:	Please refer to the Charollais Sheep Society for up to date breeder’s directory. Or Four L Farms in Canada may be able to help with breeders in the States.
Note: ALC stands for American Livestock Conservancy * LSC stands for Landscape Management – the animal is used for controlling various vegetation growth

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

They are a large breed of sheep with sturdy legs and a kind smooth face that is free of wool. Their legs are also free of wool.

Color(s):

Pink to brownish colored heads and white/creamy or sandy colored bodies. They have a white flash over each eye.

SHEEP ⇒	EWE	RAM
Breed Weight:	90 kgs	135 kgs
Breed Height:	60 cm at withers	60 cm at withers
Hair:	Dense, not too long or open	Dense, not too long or open
Ears:	Tubulars ears that stand erect to the sides of their heads	Tubulars ears that stand erect to the sides of their heads
Horns:	Polled	Polled
Matures at age:	10 weeks/15 months or 15 years	10 weeks to 15 months
Puberty Age:	5 to 12 months	5 to 7 months
Breeding Age:	18 months	1 year
Breeding Traits:	See Ewe Breeding & Milking Info.	Cover 5 to 10 Ewes in 1 season

EWE BREEDING & MILKING INFORMATION

The ewe is a prolific breeder with a prolonged breeding cycle and produces robust fast growing lambs
Breeding Period/cycle:	Usually lasts 16 to 59 hours
Estrous cycle:	Ave. 17 days/15 to 20 days
Gestation Period:	Usually, around 149 to 155 days but most gestation is 152 days
No. Lambs/Litter:	1 and on the rare occasion 2 (twins)
Lactation Period:	Usually, around 150 to 240 day but most are milked for 180 days
Milking From:	4 to 6 weeks after lambing
Milk Quality:	Good
Milk Ideal for:	Lambs
You may Also Like:	10 Best Sheep Breeds for Milk

SHEEP MEAT PRODUCTION INFORMATION

They produce a high quality of meat that has a high lean meat to fat ratio. It is a superior quality meat full of flavor and known for its tenderness and top-quality butcher lambs. They also have an increased dressing percentage with less fat deposits.
Lambs are fast growing and can reach up to 40 kgs in just 8 weeks.

Meat Production:

Yes, Quality: Premium

SHEEP ⇒	LAMB	HOGGET/MUTTON
Approx. Maturity Weight:	58 kgs	79 kgs
Approx. Maturity Age:

SHEEP WOOL PRODUCTION INFORMATION

They have a good quality of dense fine soft wool.

Wool Production?

Yes, Quality: Medium quality

Wool is used to Produce:

Knitted garments, clothes, blankets, etc.

SHEEP ⇒	EWE	RAM
Age they Produce from:	6 to 8 months	6 to 8 months
Approx. Length:	4 to 5 cm	4 to 5 cm
Microns:	29 to 30.5	29 to 30.5
Approx. Quantity:	From 1.5 kg up to 2 kgs a year	From 1.5 kg up to 2 kgs a year

GOOD TO KNOW ABOUT THE CHAROLLAIS SHEEP

A few interesting facts to know about the French Charollais breed of sheep
Child-Friendly?	They are a large livestock breed. Although they are polled, and pretty docile no child should be left unsupervised around them.
Landscape Management?	They are excellent foragers and enjoy grazing around the landscape and looking for over run interesting pastures.
Where to buy them?	Please refer to the Charollais Sheep Society as they have a breeder’s directory and export directory. You could also try the Four L Farms who are breeders of the Charollais Sheep breed in Cananda.

GENERAL INFORMATION

The main purpose of the Charollais Sheep breed in Canada is a terminal sire for prime slaughter lamb’s production. The breed tends to sire lambs that have and excellent carcass with a with long loin and high lean meat yield.

They are a meat sheep, so their sheep skin may possible used for various sheep skin products such as chamois. But they are not specifically purposed for sheep skin production.

HISTORY

The breed was developed in the town of Charolles which is located in the east center of France.
Developed from the crossing of local French land race breeds and that of the Leciester Longwool sheep breed. The Charollais sheep breed was developed in the early 1800s and imported to Brittain from France in 1976.

The Charollais sheep breed is a very popular terminal sire breed in the UK and stands as the 2nd most popular breed in the country for this purpose.

They are said to have outstanding qualities in that the rams are active and fertile, easy lambing, produce robust and vigorous lambs. The lambs are fast growing, and the ewes have excellent maternal instincts.