RARE BREEDS TRUST OF AUSTRALIA
powered by TidyHQSheep: Perendale
Sheep: Perendale
Country of Origin
New Zealand
Australian Status
International Status
Uses
Meat, Wool
Breed traits
The Perendale is a dual purpose breed and is the classic easy-care meat and wool sheep. A good Perendale fleece will look bouncy with low lustre and will feel crisp. An average fleece weight is between 3.0-4.5kg, the staple length is around 100-150mm and the fibre diameter around 30-37 microns, depending on the age of the sheep. The fleece produces a light-weight, bulky yarn.
The Perendale is easy to care for, extremely hardy, naturally worm tolerant, and has good early growth rates. All Perendales have flinty black hooves and have no need for footwork to be undertaken. The ewes have little trouble lambing and are fiercely protective of their lambs, even against foxes.
The meat is classed as quality lean prime lamb.
Its hardiness makes it ideally suited to colder, higher rainfall areas and crossed with the Merino; its high fertility has great potential to produce a prime lamb dam.
History
The Perendale was developed in New Zealand during the 1940's at Massey University by Sir Geoffrey Peren, by crossing hardy Cheviot rams over Romney ewes. The breed is still one of the most popular in New Zealand today and with a goal that states, "The least input to achieve the highest return", why wouldn't they be?
History in Australia
The Perendale was accepted as an established breed in Australia in 1975 and there are currently seven flocks in the Flock Register.
Australian Population
Ewes: 586; Rams: 23 (2018)
Ewes: 468; Rams 17 (2022)
See ASSBA for the registered Perendale breeder listing.
Breed Organisation
Australian Perendale Association. https://www.perendales.com.au/
