The Cameroon or Cameroon Dwarf is a Cameroonian breed of domestic sheep. It belongs to the West African Dwarf group of breeds.
This small breed of sheep was originally bred in West Africa for meat production, but has since been domesticated in Europe. Because these sheep do not have to be shorn, they are also used as grazers or kept as companions. The females do not have any horns, whereas the rams have spiral horns, a mane and throat ruff.
The Cameroon Dwarf is a hardy sheep. It is normally brown with a black belly and black markings to the head and legs, has a hair coat, and in winter grows a fine undercoat which it sheds in springtime. Ewes have high prolificacy and mature early; they are capable of producing three crops of lambs every two years. Usually only a single lamb is born, but commercial sheep breeds will more commonly have twins or triplets. However ewes can only cope with twins as they only have two teats.
| Life span | 12 – 16 years |
| Range | West Central Africa |
| Diet | Grazers |
| Reproduction | Gestation period: 147–150 days, 1–2 offspring; weaning: 3–5 months |
Size: 60 – 70 cm
Weight: 30 – 40 Kg
Videos
Video in Czech only: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3yZxZoigFg
We have some Cameroon sheep; 5 ewes, 4 wethers and 1 ram. It is a rare breed from West Africa and a hair sheep, which sheds yearly in the spring. This makes them easy to care for as they don’t need shearing, dipping etc. They are better clearing animals than your average sheep and hopefully will be less hard work than the goats as far as getting out ALL the time! At the moment they are clearing our future vegetable growing terraces, recently well fenced with electric fencing to keep the wild boar out.
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Cameroon lamb, one of world’s rarest breeds of sheep, born in Kent
Dwarf lamb was born weighing 1lb 4oz and is 661st in the world, says Artisan Rare Breeds charity
A British animal charity has welcomed the arrival of one of the world’s rarest breeds of sheep normally found in Africa.
The unnamed male Cameroon lamb weighed in at 1lb 4oz (570g) at Artisan Rare Breeds in Dartford, Kent, this week.
Charity director Wayne May said there are just over 650 of the domesticated animals left in the world, but this latest birth will go some way to helping protect the rare species.
He said: “We are ecstatic because it’s only the 661st in the world, and we are also set to see another two sets of twins born here.
“They are like a dwarf species and are extremely small because of the type of regions they are used to living in. They deal with extreme heat and a lack of grass.
“It will only grow to around 25 kilos (55lbs) when it is about three years old, and, unusually, this species are capable of lambing twice a year.”
May set up the rare breed conservation and animal rescue charity for endangered exotic wildlife and abandoned pets and farm animals.
Last month, he welcomed the arrival of another rare animal, an Asian miniature zebu named Dave, regarded as the world’s smallest cow species.
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Meat quality of Cameroon lambs and rams – initial observations
Summary
Cameroon sheep are a breed of hair sheep raised in Europe for their high-quality skins and tasty meat. Due to their natural resistance to difficult environmental conditions, parasites and bacterial diseases, as well as their low feed requirements, Cameroon sheep can be an interesting animal for agritourism farms. The meat of Cameroon lambs and rams has beneficial
physicochemical properties which depend on the animal’s age and on the muscle analysed.
It is worth noting the high level of fat in the muscles, which may be due to the extensive feeding system and to breed determinants. The fatty acid profile, proportions of individual fatty acid groups and especially the n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio in Cameroon sheep are beneficial in terms of human nutrition. This may be due to their slower growth rate and the traditional extensive feeding system used. As the age of the sheep increased, there was a decrease in lightness of colour and a marked increase in red colour in the muscles analysed, accompanied by a deterioration of meat texture parameters. Cameroon sheep can be a source of good quality meat that can be recommended to consumers, especially since, according to many reports, the meat does not have the characteristic odour typical of meat obtained from wool breeds.
https://www.shutterstock.com/video/clip-12900686-cameroon-sheep-lambs-springtime
Some have been exported to Europe.
