Baker

Baker

The Baker or Bonte is a Dutch sheep (Ovis aries Linnaeus, 1758), of unknown origin, with a main aptitude for meat production.

Systematics –
From a systematic point of view it belongs to:
Eukaryota Domain,
Kingdom Animalia,
Phylum Chordata,
Mammalia class,
Order Artiodactyla,
Suborder Ruminantia,
Bovidae family,
Caprinae subfamily,
Genus Ovis,
Species O. aries,
Breed Baker.

Geographic and Area Distribution –
The Baker or Bonte sheep breed is a species present and bred mainly in Holland.

Origins and History –
The origins of the Baker sheep breed, of which almost nothing was known until a decade ago, are unknown even if its morphological conformation is very close to the Texel, a Dutch breed originating from the island of Texel and selected in the nineteenth century. .
However, the uncertainty and genetic variability of this breed make certain identification difficult.

Morphology –
The Baker sheep breed is a small breed with a round shape.
It has brown spots mixed with more or less dirty white spread evenly throughout the body.
Females have an average weight of 75-80 kg, while males have an average weight ranging from 100 to even 130 kg.

Productive attitude –
These Dutch spotted sheep are mainly raised for meat production but are also excellent milkers and mothers.
They have a good prolificacy, around the two lambs calving and a good daily increase of weight in the lambs.
In general it is a quiet and very sociable breed, pleasant to observe, and easy to raise with a good ability to exploit the pastures present.

Guido Bissanti

Sources-
– Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
– Daniele Bigi, Alessio Zanon, 2010. Atlas of native breeds. Cattle, horses, sheep and goats, pigs reared in Italy, Edagricole-New Business Media, Bologna.
Photo source: https://mondopecora.weebly.com/