Swiss White Alpine sheep

The White Alpine sheep is a sedentary breed, well adapted to mountainous terrain, with a pronounced herd instinct (Rudolf Lehmann / Schweizerischer Schafzuchtverband)

Origin and development

The Swiss White Alpine sheep derives from a number of Swiss White Mountain sheep breeds. Through cross-breeding with the Merino Land sheep and Ile-de-France sheep, the meat and wool performance of the original local types was sustainably improved. Since 2010, breeding values have been estimated annually for fertility and weight gain traits. The Swiss White Alpine sheep is the breed with the largest number of individuals registered in a herdbook in Switzerland.

Description

Large-framed, fertile sheep with good maternal traits, milk and meat performance; hardy; sound limb conformation. Medium-length woolly face with broad mouth; medium-length ears carried horizontally; hornless. Pure white fleece. Non-seasonal lambing, ideally two to three times over 2 years. First lambing at the age of 15–18 months.

White Alpine sheep at pasture in the mountains (Christian Aeschlimann / Schweizerischer Schafzuchtverband)

Breeding objectives

h Hardiness, health, no genetic defects, adaptability h Longevity, good rearing ability h Average production period: 5 years h Capacity for high intake and efficient use of roughage h Quality lamb (milk teeth) up to 42 kg mature live weight, good meat performance (well fleshed to very well fleshed) h Well adapted to mountainous terrain h Maintenance of non-seasonality