Barbados
Blackbelly Ewes and Lambs
by Susan
Schoenian
Salisbury, Maryland
In March, I had the opportunity
to visit Barbados on a trade mission with the Maryland
Department of Agriculture. This small island, only 2½ times the size of
our nation's capitol, with its idyllic weather and fantastic seaside scenery,
quickly became one of my favorite places. Geographically speaking, Barbados
is the eastern most island in the Caribbean chain, the only, I was told, not
to have developed from a volcano. As a former British colony, it is rich in
the Queen's traditions. Barbadians speak "British" English, play cricket and
drive on the "wrong" side of the road, just to note a few of their customs.
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Barbados
Blackbelly Ewes and Lambs
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It goes without saying
that Barbados is a popular tourist destination for Europeans, Americans, and
Canadians, who go for rest and relaxation, to imbibe in the world's oldest rum
and to eat flying fish, the national dish. But, while traveling around the island,
tourists can't help but notice the abundance of "brown sheep" grazing in small
pastures or tethered alongside the winding roads. In fact, most foreigners mistake
these sleek, badger-faced animals for goats, when in reality, what they are
seeing are Barbados
Blackbellies, a hair sheep that is one of the most reproductive efficient
breeds in the world and truly one of Barbados's "national treasures."
The Barbados Blackbelly
The Barbados Blackbelly is an indigenous breed to Barbados. It descends from sheep brought to the islands from West Africa during the slave era. Blackbellies are "antelope like" in appearance, brown tan or yellow in color, with black points and under-parts. Both ewes and rams are should be polled or have only small scurs or diminutive horns. They may have some visible fuzzy wool undercoat within their hair coat, but it should shed along with the hair each year. White splotches or speckles on the shoulder, back or rump are permitted. According to documented history of the breed, Barbados Blackbelly sheep should possess the following traits: 1) tolerance of hot and humid climates; 2) resistance to parasites; 3) resistance to foot problems; 4) a-seasonality of breeding; 5) high rate of twinning (but low rate of high multiples; 6) ease of lambing; and 7) lean carcass on a moderate-sized frame.
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Barbados
is the eastern most
island in the Caribbean. |
The initial importation
of Barbados Blackbellies to the U.S. was in 1904 to the USDA research station
in Beltsville, Maryland. The breed was later crossed with the Mouflon, Rambouillet
and other European breeds, resulting in breed characteristics which are significantly
different from those found in the Caribbean. In the U.S., the Blackbelly has
had two primary roles which its development in the U.S. As a trophy or game
animal in Texas, it was desirable for rams to carry large horns, which goes
against the original breed standard. For use in sheep dog trials and demonstrations,
it was advantageous to have small, but agile animals that could run all day.
In the U.S., Blackbellies are not noted for their gentle temperament nor ease
of handling.
For many years, North Carolina
State University maintained a closed flock of Barbados Blackbelly sheep. The
original stock had been imported directly from Barbados in the early 1970's,
thus their genetics closely match those in the Caribbean. The flock was dispersed
in 1996, but fortunately mains intact on a private farm. Previous research efforts
with the Blackbelly focused on crossbreeding to improve the reproductive performance
of wooled breeds. Research conducted at Virginia Tech and the University of
Illinois showed that hair breed crossbred ewes have a number of advantages over
crossbred wooled ewes, including shorter breeding to lambing intervals, higher
fertility, higher lamb survival and more pounds of lamb weaned. When I was a
student at Virginia Tech, the Dorset x Blackbelly ewes were among the most productive
in the university's 500-ewe flock. Today, research efforts are directed more
towards maintaining the purity of hair sheep and using the Blackbelly to improve
the reproductive characteristics of other hair breeds and/or create a new breed
of hair sheep.
Lean red meat
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Barbados
Blackbelly Ram
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Barbados Blackbelly lambs are purported to have less body fat than other breeds. As is the case with goats, they tend to deposit less subcutaneous fat than wooled breeds, while generally accumulating more fat around the heart and kidneys. Their meat is considered to have a milder, less muttony flavor than the lamb from wooled breeds. Some of the restaurants in Barbados feature local Barbados Blackbelly lamb on the menu – this palate found it to be very tender and tasty, as good as any lamb I have ever tasted. I think that with proper promotion, "Barbados Blackbelly" lamb could become a local favorite with the tourists. Other restaurants on the island feature imported lamb (New Zealand), and this represents a formidable challenge to the industry, much like in the U.S. It is difficult for local producers to compete on the basis of price and uniformity of supply with New Zealand.
Most sheep farms are small. Profitability is hampered by high feed and veterinary costs. Barbados does not grow much of its own livestock feed. At one time, by-products from sugar cane, the country's number one cash crop, provided feed for livestock, but with mechanical harvesting replacing hand labor, the once potential feed is now returned to the field. Broiler litter is considered a viable option, as the copper status of Barbados soils leans more towards deficiency than toxicity, but there is concern that broiler litter as a feed is not compatible with HAACP standards and consumer tastes. Imported feeds are twice the price as in the U.S., due to high transportation costs. Moreover, the feed companies/importers are reluctant to sell bulk ingredients, so most producers are forced to buy complete feeds at even greater prices.
The price of hay is also high. I visited a horse stable (you can't go to the Caribbean and not go horseback riding on the beach) which had paid $7 BBS ($3.50 US) for a ~30 lb. bale of hay. Hay can be especially pricey when you consider the quality of hay that is being sold – we're not talking alfalfa here. Tropical forages tend to be lower in protein and energy than temperate species. In fact, the Caribbean offers a potential market for U.S.-grown hay
According to one farmer, molasses is the cheapest source of energy for livestock. Interest was expressed in feeding fat to increase the level of energy in sheep diets. Pregnancy toxemia is a common problem, along with low birth weights, both of which contribute greatly to lamb mortality. Both problems can be attributed to insufficient energy intake by ewes prior to parturition, along with the preponderance of multiple births. Some health problems have been linked to inadequate fiber intake. One farmer was investigating feeding cardboard to his ewes to increase fiber intake.
Due to limited land space (land is sold by the square foot) and the high cost of feed, feedlot rearing of lambs is quite common in Barbados. In fact, there is a central feedlot, a joint project between the Barbados Sheep Association and a feed company. There are plans for additional feedlots.
Lambs must weigh a minimum of 35 pounds (13.6 kg) to enter the feed lot. Producers are paid $90 BDS (approximately $45 US) per lamb. Any producer may sell his or her lambs to the feed lot. Lambs are vaccinated and dewormed upon arrival and are held in a quarantine facility before entering the feed yard. Ram and ewe lambs are segregated for feeding to prevent unwanted pregnancies. It is not customary to castrate ram lambs in Barbados and other Caribbean countries. Ram lambs gain faster and more efficiently than ewe and wether lambs. Carcass quality is not affected by sex of lamb.
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Barbados
Blackbelly breeding stock has been exported to other countries.
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Lambs receive a similar
ration throughout the feeding period. Hay is fed to prevent acidosis (grain
overload). In fact, insufficient fiber intake is often cited as a contributing
factor to many disease problems. The feed lot has experienced problems with
internal parasites, coccidiosis and urinary calculi. Data is being collected
data to determine the cause(es) of these problems. Amprolium (Corid) is the
drug of choice for treating coccidiosis. There seemed to be a reluctance to
feed coccidiostats. They don't think they work. Worming medicines are the same
as those used in the U.S., though much costlier to purchase in Barbados.
As an indigenous sheep
adapted to tropical conditions and low input farming systems, the Blackbelly
is not expected to perform as well as sheep in temperate climates and/or of
European origin. Data collected at the feed lot in 1998 and 1999, showed that
lambs gained an average of 153.3 grams (.34 lbs) per day. Ram lambs averaged
168.9 grams (.37 lbs), while ewe lambs gained 133.1 grams (.29 lbs) per day.
The final weight was 71.4 pounds for ewe lambs and 85.5 pounds for rams. The
average stay in the feed lot was 100 days for ewe lambs and 103 days for ram
lambs.
The feedlot is also being
used to identify superior rams and ewes. As in the U.S., producers tend to place
too much emphasis on the physical appearance of the animal. By collecting data
at the feed lot, it is hoped that the quality of breeding stock being used by
farmers will improve. It has been suggested that lambs not meeting rate of gain
standards or having other identifiable faults should be slaughtered. The feedlot's
lambs are custom slaughtered for a supermarket.
Because of their many positive
attributes, Barbados Blackbelly sheep have tremendous export potential. Breeding
stock attract valuable prices on the export market ($500 for rams and $450 for
ewes), particularly as compared to the lamb meat market in Barbados. As a result,
there is considerable interest among the Barbados
Sheep Farmers, the Ministry of Agriculture and individual producers in exporting
Barbados Blackbelly sheep. Data from the Ministry
of Agriculture and Rural Development (Agriview 1997) shows that 182 breeding
sheep were exported in 1997. However, there is disagreement in the industry
as to who should have responsibility for exporting the sheep and setting standards
for the animals. Previously, the Ministry of Agriculture was responsible. Some
think the sheep association should be the exporting body, while individual entrepreneurs
are frequently the most successful exporters.
The destination for most
Barbados Blackbelly sheep has been Malaysia and other Caribbean island nations.
There is interest in the U.S. in importing Barbados Blackbelly sheep to restore
the integrity of the breed, as well as to introduce some new bloodlines, but
the protocol for importing livestock into the U.S. is very stringent. Scrapie
and
foot and mouth disease are the diseases of primary concern. Barbados has
no confirmed cases of either, but it will be necessary for USDA-APHIS
to conduct a thorough investigation before any sheep, semen or embryos can be
allowed on U.S. soil.
The Export market
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