Saving Tunis Sheep At The Maberly Fair

Among the sheep at the Maberly Fair sheep show on August 29, there were two sleek brown lambs that were brought to the Fair from McDel Farms, in Beckwith Township.

The lambs are Tunis Sheep, a breed that originated in Tunisia. The Bey of Tunis gifted 10 Tunis sheep to George Washington in the 1700s, but only two survived. They were bred by a farmer in Pennsylvania and gradually, a uniquely North American Tunis breed was created. They became the mainstay in the mid-Atlantic and Southeastern US until the Civil War, when nearly all of the Southern stock was destroyed. A South Carolina farmer is credited with saving the breed by hiding the last flock along the Congee River, near the city of Columbia.

After the war, the Great Lakes region and New England became strongholds for the breed. Its numbers diminished in the 20th century, but a breeding program tied to sustainable agricultural practices in the United States has led to a recovery in the United States.

McDel Farms has been doing its part to improve the prospects of the Tunis breed in Canada, and it is a family project. They brought twins that were born this spring, to Maberly, and they were among the most popular sheep at the fair, along with Lily’s bristle board school project, with lots of information about history of the Tunis breed.

Tunis have a lot of qualities that make them a popular breed for those interested in heritage sheep. They are an easy going, docile breed, and are used for meat, wool and milk. The ewes usually have twins at birth and are more likely to have females.

And, as is evidenced in the photo on the right, they are well loved at McDel Farm.