Perendale facts for kids

The Perendale is a special kind of sheep. It was created in New Zealand at Massey Agricultural College, which is now called Massey University. These sheep are great for living on steep hills. The Perendale breed got its name from Sir Geoffrey Peren. It was made by breeding strong Romney mothers with sturdy-legged Cheviot fathers. Perendale sheep are mostly raised for their meat.

History of the Perendale

Since the 1980s, more and more Perendale sheep have been raised. This is because farming on hills has grown, and these sheep are very good at living in hilly places.

The Perendale sheep came from crossing Cheviot and Romney sheep. It is a "dual-purpose" sheep. This means it is good for two things: producing wool and meat. Its wool fibers are about 29 to 35 micrometres (0.0011 to 0.0014 in) thick. The wool strands are about 125 millimetres (4.9 in) long.

Perendale sheep are known for having many lambs. They can produce excellent lambs when bred with Merino sheep. If they are purebred, their toughness makes them perfect for cold, rainy areas. Perendale sheep are also easy to look after. The mothers, called ewes, usually have no trouble giving birth. They are also very good mothers to their lambs.

Perendale Characteristics

A grown male Perendale sheep, called a ram, usually weighs about 220 to 260 lb (100 to 118 kg). A grown female sheep, or ewe, typically weighs between 120 to 150 lb (54 to 68 kg).

The average thickness of their wool fibers is 29 to 35 microns. In the USDA wool grading system, their wool is rated from 44's to 54's.