QUALITIES
The Charmoise has acquired a reputation for hardiness, thriving on poorer pastures and making maximum use of its food. The breed requires little attention and has the ability to retain good body condition in harsh conditions. Fine bone structure, notably the small head and shoulders with an overall wedge shape, means that both pedigree and commercial ewes put to the charmoise tup lamb down very easily. Because of this they are a pleasure to shepherd.
Often reared in very difficult conditions, the Charmoise has acquired the reputation for hardiness and resistance, enabling it to adapt to most conditions. They also have the ability for lambing out of season, which means they will fit in with various farm management systems.
The Charmoise is ideal for improving the conformation of hill bred lambs.
The exceptional conformation of the Charmoise is the one of the main reasons for the success of the Charmoise ram in commercial crossbreeding schemes. The resulting meat lamb in such crossings is of exceptional quality.
HISTORY OF THE BREED
The Charmoise is a genuine hill breed and was the one of the first to be imported to Britain from the Continent. The breed was formed in the Loir et Cher region of France in the mid- to late 18th century by using Kent rams introduced from England. These were then crossed with the indigenous hill and mountain breeds giving the resulting lambs a better overall shape.
The breed’s influence on the modern sheep industry has been considerable. The excellent confirmation of the Charmoise meant that, when the ewes were crossed with a traditional Leicester ram, the forerunners of several influential breeds were born, including the modern Charollais and Rouge. A further out-crossing to long-woolled breeds resulted in the Bleu du Maine.
The Charmoise is still found in the rougher hill areas of France where it is bred pure to produce a high quality small lamb. The population in France is estimated to be around 20,000 ewes. The breed can now also be found in Germany, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom and is invaluable in the production of quality meat and wool where grazing poor.
In France the Charmoise is the only top conformation breed to be classified as race rustique (hardy breed) and it consistently wins the primestock classes at the Paris Show.