Lacaune sheep breed

The Lacaune breed originated in the South of France and was initially used for its meat and wool. Due to a selection and breeding program, the Lacaune became a more prominent dairy breed and is now one of the most successful dairy breeds in the world. It has been selected for milk yield, milk composition, type traits, and currently also for somatic cell count and udder traits. 

The Lacaune is a medium-sized sheep with the ewes weighing 70 kg and the rams 100 kg on average. They are white, while a few individuals are black. The Lacaune has a short double coat of fine wool and they shed their undercoat in the Summer. Their neck, belly, and head have hairs but no wool. Because of their short coat (2 kg average), they only need to be sheared once a year, which keeps the maintenance costs low. They are polled, hence the breed does not have horns. The ears are long and horizontal. Their hooves are small, which means they are excellent navigators on rocky ground. The sheep have a nicely shaped udder with small teats and is an easy milker.