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| Photo source: breeds.okstate.edu |
Comeback sheep originated in Australia. They were first
developed by crossing a British long-wool cross back to a Merino sheep. But
more recently, the type has been produced by crossing some popular sheep breeds
such as Corriedale and Polwarth with Merino. The main aim of the cross was to
develop a finer, better style of wool. Wool of the Comeback sheep style is also
produced by Cormo, Bond, and Polwarth sheep. And these breeds may prove easier
to breed than the Comebacks.
Today, Australia has approximately three million comeback
sheep mainly in cool wet areas. They are raised as a dual-purpose sheep for
producing both meat and wool.
They are very strong and hardy. They are well adapted to the
high rainfall districts in Australia. Their wool is very good quality with a
staple length of the bulky wool is 4.3 inches with an average fiber diameter of
21 to 25 microns. Along with wool production, the breed is also very good for
meat production.
They are medium to large sized. They are mainly white, and
are similar to the Merino sheep in appearance. But they don’t have neck folds.
Both rams and ewes are either horned or polled. Both ewes and rams weight
around 4.5 kg on average at birth. The average live body weight of the mature
Comeback rams is around 90 kg. And the mature ewe’s average live body weight is
around 60 kg.
About Comeback Sheep
