OXFORD STATION, Ont. — Driving down the long lane to Brigitte and William Reid’s farm south of Ottawa, the farm divide is clearly visible
To the right are the sheep, protected by the guard llama, Scotty, who charges anyone who goes near his flock.
To the left are the cattle, mainly Lincoln Red.
Brigitte, owner of the sheep that includes one of only two registered Karakul flocks in Canada, had issued a warning before the visit.
“William is not a sheep person,” she said on the telephone. “He wishes they weren’t here. When I told him I planned to buy some, he kind of looked at me sideways.”
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It turns out it’s not so much the sheep as the Karakul sheep that he’s not keen to have around.
They are a breed that evolved in the harsh conditions of Central Asia and are tough and resilient with thick wool, tough teeth and hooves that help make them able to withstand drought and deprivation.
They are considered one of the oldest breeds of domesticated sheep with evidence of their existence going back to ancient Babylon.
They store fat in their tails and then absorb it into their bodies when conditions become harsh.
It means they are lean sheep, slow to gain weight.
And that is William’s problem.
“I’m in the meat business so an animal that doesn’t put on weight isn’t exactly good business,” he said.
By contrast, the Outaouais Arcotts that make up the majority of the flock — a breed developed in the Gatineau Valley of West Quebec north of Ottawa — are good weight gainers.
Brigitte, who bought her first Karakul ewes eight years ago, has no intention of getting rid of them.
“They look nice and they are very different,” she said. “I just like having them around. Not many others do so they are kind of unique.”
She also likes to eat them.
Initially, she was interested in the breed because of their thick wool that has been used for centuries for Persian coats and Persian rugs.
“I got them for the wool and thought I would work with it but with five kids and other work, I just have been too busy to do anything with it,” she said.
But then she discovered that because the meat is so lean, Karakuls do not have the smell or taste of other sheep.
“I’ve never really liked mutton, the taste or smell of it, but Karakul meat is different because the fat is stored in the tail,” said Brigitte. “I sell the other ones, I don’t eat them. I keep the Karakuls for meat.”
Although the Reid farm is registered with the Canadian Livestock Records as Karakul breeders, Brigitte said many other farms have the breed but do not register them.
As well, they are popular in other countries around the world, including large flocks in South Africa, Central Asia, Russia and Turkey.
They are temperamental animals and tend to be loners rather than flock animals, she said.
And because they evolved in rocky and hilly terrain, they have hooves that grow quickly and are tough to trim.
“If someone is thinking of having Karakuls, I think they would do better on a farm that is rockier than ours is,” she said.
“Rocky ground keeps the hooves ground down.”
The Reids’s operation includes 160 acres with a second farm that also provides 100 acres of forage.
William works off farm at a grain elevator in the St. Lawrence Seaway town of Johnstown.
