Schoonebeker

Schoonebeker

The Schoonebeeker or Heideschaap sheep breed is a sheep (Ovis aries Linnaeus, 1758) of Dutch origin with a main aptitude for meat production.

Systematic –
From a systematic point of view it belongs to:
Eukaryota domain,
Kingdom Animalia,
Phylum Chordata,
Mammalia class,
Order Artiodactyla,
Suborder Ruminantia,
Bovidae family,
Subfamily Caprinae,
Genus Ovis,
Species O. aries,
Schoonebeeker breed.

Geographical and Areal Distribution –
The Schoonebeeker or Heideschaap moorland sheep is a rare and traditional breed of grazing sheep that has origins in the 19th century, perhaps even earlier, when it was used to transform Dutch territory from arid moorland to a more fertile pasture.
The Schoonebeeker moorland sheep (also simply Schoonebeeker) is a breed whose name refers to the town of Schoonebeek where this breed was originally bred.
Initially the breed could be found in numerous regions of Holland, where it also had several names. An example is Munniker in the province of Groningen. The name Schoonebeeker is the most common name. Herds were once common in Drenthe and neighboring provinces, where they grazed moderately fertile soil. During the 1970s, only about a hundred animals remained. Today, the breed has been restored to around 1000 sheep and is growing slowly.

Origins and History –
The Schoonebeeker sheep breed is a sheep that originally lived in the range from Salland to Westphalia and Lower Saxony, where various moorland sheep, often large in size, were bred, without these being specifically considered a breed. The need to name animals as a breed emerged starting in the 19th century. Salland formed the eastern edge of the distribution area of the Veluwe moorland sheep, a large type of hornless moorland sheep with a slight ram’s nose. Mixed forms between this Veluwe moor sheep, the smaller horned Drenthe moor sheep and the sheep found in the German border area were also called Brikken. A name that also applied to similar landscapes in the area around Münster and Hanover. Another indication is the identical name used by the monks both for the sheep from the area around Münster (the Münsterland) and for the sheep from the Schoonebeeker moor.
At that time the coat was long and hairy. The light spots occurred in the transition areas with the Drenthe Heath sheep. Schoonebeekers of this color are often slightly smaller and were called Ommertjes after the area around Ommen. Compared to the predominantly white Veluwe Heath sheep and the spectacled Bentheimer sheep, the Schoonebeeker, like the Drenthe Heath sheep, has more colors and markings.
Towards the end of the century sheep of the type we now know as the Schoonebeeker or Bentheimer breed were crossed with the Drenthe Heath sheep. The main reason for this was the need for meatier, larger and more fertile sheep than the originally poor and lean sheep of the Drenthe moor for the new farmland. The cultivation of uncultivated moorland and the availability of fertilizers made it no longer necessary to use sheep from the Drenthe moorland for manure. German sources report that the external characteristics of the Bentheimer sheep were described in 1868. Specific characteristics such as greater conformation and fertility and good feeding capacity were also appreciated in 1918, after which the Bentheimer sheep was recognized in 1934. The Schoonebeeker and the Bentheimer enjoyed a good growth until the Second World War. Around 1940 there were 15,000 animals.
By the time the Rare Domestic Breeds Foundation noted during its inventory in 1976 that the Schoonebeeker had become an exceptionally rare breed, the Bentheimer sheep also faced similar problems. Around 1970 it was discovered that three farmers were keeping only 50 Bentheimer sheep together. To combat inbreeding depression, rams of other breeds were crossed in the late 1980s. The French Causses du Lot breed produced a higher conformation and different wool quality. Additionally, rams from the German Rhön sheep and the Drenthe moor sheep, described as early as 1585, were used. Of the current nine lines of rams, three lines can still be traced back to the German lines. The Bentheimer population currently includes 2,500 animals.
Since the introduction of foreign rams, the resemblance between the purebred Schoonebeeker sheep and the Bentheimer sheep has diminished considerably. Not only genetically, but also in terms of characteristics. The current Bentheimer sheep is somewhat larger and heavier, has a clearly different wool composition and, unlike the Schoonebeeker, almost always has a moderately speckled head marking.
The NFDH (the Dutch Breeders’ Association for the Drents Heideschaap) attaches great importance to the conservation of the original species and tries to achieve this through targeted breeding and selection.
Since 1985 the NFDH has aimed to preserve and revive the old type of Drenthe Heath and Schoonebeeker sheep as distinctive breeds. In 2006, the Schoonebeeker population consisted of approximately 1,500 approved breeding animals. There are 7 kennels affiliated with the breed club and more than forty private individuals who own purebred Schoonebeekers registered in the stud book.

Morphology –
The Schoonebeeker sheep is a breed easily recognizable by its lack of horns; it is characterized by various colors, a shaggy coat, a curved snout and long legs.
The average height of this breed is 70 cm, with an average weight of 80 kg for the male and 50 kg for the female.
This sheep has a decidedly elegant appearance, with its long neck and head raised high.
It is a breed with long limbs and the legs are thin, but hard and dry like those of a deer.
The coat is long and furry with a large volume.
The torso is long and strong, with sufficient width and strength in the front and back. Typical is the long woolly tail that reaches at least to the heel.

Productive attitude –
The Schoonebeeker sheep is a breed still bred in some cases in the original territories.
Due to its large size it provides a generous supply of meat in autumn, when an excess number of young rams need to be culled. The meat of this sheep has a good price for its gamey flavor.
Meat and derived products are sold by shepherds or via the internet. Recently, genetic research has shown that Schoonebeeker has a fair chance of surviving and maintaining its viability despite its “genetic purity.” There are few shepherds who raise them: they represent a small basis for survival, since there is growing interest in this sheep from breeders and producers for the future.
During the 1970s, only about a hundred animals remained. Today, the breed has been restored to around 1000 sheep and is growing slowly.
The Schoonebeeker sheep is the largest sheep breed on the Dutch moorlands.
Lambing with ewes presents virtually no problems. Ewes become pregnant quickly and on average a ewe gives birth to 1 to 2 lambs per year, partly depending on the richness of the fertile soil where the Schoonebeeker grazes. Animals are strong and hardy and can age easily. They are easy to care for animals with a high degree of adaptability to the original nature.

Guido Bissanti

Sources-
– Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
– Balasini Dialma, 2001. Applied zootechnics. Sheep and goats. Sheep and goats. For technical and professional institutes, Caledrini Edagricole, Bologna.
– Daniele Bigi, Alessio Zanon, 2010. Atlas of native breeds. Cattle, horses, sheep, goats, pigs raised in Italy, Edagricole-New Business Media, Bologna.

Photo source:
– https://szh.nl/dieren/schaap/schoonebeeker/