Tunis Sheep

Tunis sheep are the redheads of the sheep world, known for their strikingly red faces and legs and their ivory-colored fleeces. The Tunis is thought to be descended from North African sheep, variously described as "fat‑tailed," "broad‑tailed," and "Barbary" sheep, that were imported to the United States during the late 1700s. References to these sheep appear in letters, journals, and farm records of some of the leading agriculturists and citizens of the day, including John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Richard Peters, and George Washington. Gradually, a uniquely American breed was created. The Tunis name describes its connections to foundation stock from Tunisia in North Africa.

After their initial introduction into the United States, Tunis sheep spread throughout the mid‑Atlantic and southeastern United States and were well-adapted to the heat and humidity of these regions. The Tunis was the mainstay of sheep production in the upper South and mid‑Atlantic regions until the Civil War, when nearly all Southern stock was destroyed. After the war, the Great Lakes region and New England became strongholds for the breed. It is only recently that the Tunis has again been seen in the Southeast.

Tunis sheep are striking in appearance, with their red faces and legs contrasting their ivory-colored fleeces. Their clean heads and lop ears are distinctive, and the breed gives the impression of activity and intelligence. The sheep are medium in size, weighing 150 to 200 pounds. Both sexes are polled. Lambs are born red, gaining a lighter fleece with maturity, but retaining red legs, heads, and ears. Lambs are also born with a double coat of red fiber on their bodies to protect them from the elements.

The Tunis is a dual‑purpose breed that has been selected primarily for meat production. Market lambs are economical to raise and produce carcasses of excellent quality.Their meat is very sweet and noted for the fine flavor in both the lamb and mature animals. The Tunis offers potential for crossbreeding for market lamb production. The Tunis stamps feed efficiency onto its crossbred offspring.

Tunis sheep are deep-chested with straight and wide backs and a rump that slopes slightly toward the tail head. Their faces are slender and wider at the muzzle creating an hourglass in shape when they are observed from the front.

The fleece is a medium-grade wool which turns white during processing. Fleeces weigh seven to twelve pounds with a staple length of three to five inches. Ewes are prolific and fertile, consistently producing twins. They are heavy milkers and make ­attentive mothers. Tunis sheep can also breed out-of-season. Tunis sheep are good grazers and easy keepers, appropriate for forage‑based production. Tunis sheep are also reputed for their long lives, docile temperaments, easy birthing, and heat tolerance.

The recent history of the Tunis is less well described than its early years. The breed’s lack of documentation in performance traits has limited its commercial appeal. Fortunately, the number of Tunis sheep is now increasing, and the breed has the potential to become more widely used for low‑input production of meat, wool, and perhaps milk. Such promotion would aid in the conservation of the Tunis, one of the few sheep breeds unique to North America. Today, the Tunis sheep ranks in the “Watch” category on the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy’s Conservation Priority List. There are fewer than 5,000 breeding animals in the United States and the estimated global population is less than 10,000 breeding animals. 

Important facts to know about the Tunis if you are considering raising Tunis sheep:

Age of maturity (M/F): 2 years

Mature weight range (M/F): 200-275 lbs (90-124 kg) / 125-175 lbs (56-79 kg)

Colors: creamy white bodies with red heads and legs, lambs are born completely red and slowly develop the white body color, pink nose and tongue (spots or dark pigment acceptable but not ideal), hooves dark brown or stripped with beige and brown, white on crown of head

Distinctive markings: red head and legs

Hair/fleece type: medium, var crimp

Fleece yield: 6-15 lbs (2.7-6.8 kg) (generally 8-12 lbs), yield 50-70%,

Fleece texture: lustrous

Fiber diameter: 24-30 microns, up to 31 microns

Lock length: 3-6 inches (7.5-15 cm), average 3.5-5 inches

Micron count: 54-58

Temperament (M/F): docile 

Herd/Flocking behavior: medium

Regional adaptations: Tunis are well -uited to thrive in the warm southern states but can acclimate to colder climates of northern states without difficulty.

Faults to avoid:

As described by the National Tunis Sheep Registry:

excessively wide chest, prominent brisket, stiff or weak pasterns, white or black hooves, cow-hocked or bow-legged, black or brown spots on face, egs or in the wool, scurs ¾” or less in rams, wedge shaped head, brown or grey/brown face and leg color lacking a red hue, mottled face, ears other than long & pendulous, wool on face (except crown of head), wool on ears, red fiber in wool, heavy wool below the knees and hocks, dew laps, wrinkles & loose skin, small testicles for age

Age of sexual maturity (M/F): 5-7 months

Length of breeding season: They have an extended breeding season of approximately 10 months.

Breeding seasonality: July-May

Expected longevity:  early teens

Optimal breeding ratio of males to female: 1 male to 30 ewes

Gestational length: 148 days

Gestational interval: 1 lamb crop per year

Number of offspring/breeding: 1-3, most often twins

Fertility: excellent

Offspring survivability: excellent

Birth weight: 9-12 lbs (4-5 kg)

Weaning weight: 50+lbs (22 kg)

Maternal capability:  excellent

Length of lactation period: 5-6 months

Amount of lactation: ¾ to 1 quart per day (.7-.9 liters)

Feed requirements: minimal, very feed efficient, can thrive on just forage or browse

Foraging ability: exceptional

Harvest age (M/F): 4+ months

Note; Ram lambs have been observed to have a growth rate of .7-.75 lbs (.31-.34 kg) / day and ewes lambs .6-.65 lbs (.27-.29 kg) per /day

Harvest weight (M/F):  90-100 lbs+ (41-45 kg)

Carcass yield (M/F): 50-65%,Due to the breed being fine boned coupled with a good length of hind-saddle, the Tunis has an excellent meat to bone ratio.