​Maryland Small Ruminant Page

Geographically speaking, Barbados is the eastern most island in the Caribbean chain, the only, I was told, not to have developed from a volcano. As a former British colony, it is rich in the Queen's traditions. Barbadians speak "British" English, play cricket and drive on the "wrong" side of the road, just to note a few of their customs.
 

It goes without saying that Barbados is a popular tourist destination for Europeans, Americans, and Canadians, who go for rest and relaxation, to imbibe in the world's oldest rum and to eat flying fish, the national dish. But, while traveling around the island, tourists can't help but notice the abundance of "brown sheep" grazing in small pastures or tethered alongside the winding roads. In fact, most foreigners mistake these sleek, badger-faced animals for goats, when in reality, what they are seeing are Barbados Blackbellies, a hair sheep that is one of the most reproductive efficient breeds in the world and truly one of Barbados's "national treasures."
 

The Barbados Blackbelly

The Barbados Blackbelly is an indigenous breed to Barbados. It descends from sheep brought to the islands from West Africa during the slave era. Blackbellies are "antelope like" in appearance, brown tan or yellow in color, with black points and under-parts. Both ewes and rams are should be polled or have only small scurs or diminutive horns. They may have some visible fuzzy wool undercoat within their hair coat, but it should shed along with the hair each year. White splotches or speckles on the shoulder, back or rump are permitted.

According to documented history of the breed, Barbados Blackbelly sheep should possess the following traits: 1) tolerance of hot and humid climates; 2) resistance to parasites; 3) resistance to foot problems; 4) a-seasonality of breeding; 5) high rate of twinning (but low rate of high multiples; 6) ease of lambing; and 7) lean carcass on a moderate-sized frame.
 

Barbados Blackbelly in the U.S.

The initial importation of Barbados Blackbellies to the U.S. was in 1904 to the USDA research station in Beltsville, Maryland. The breed was later crossed with the Mouflon, Rambouillet and other European breeds, resulting in breed characteristics which are significantly different from those found in the Caribbean. In the U.S., the Blackbelly has had two primary roles which its development in the U.S.

As a trophy or game animal in Texas, it was desirable for rams to carry large horns, which goes against the original breed standard. For use in sheep dog trials and demonstrations, it was advantageous to have small, but agile animals that could run all day. In the U.S., Blackbellies are not noted for their gentle temperament nor ease of handling.

For many years, North Carolina State University maintained a closed flock of Barbados Blackbelly sheep. The original stock had been imported directly from Barbados in the early 1970's, thus their genetics closely match those in the Caribbean. The flock was dispersed in 1996, but fortunately mains intact on a private farm. 
 

Previous research efforts with the Blackbelly focused on crossbreeding to improve the reproductive performance of wooled breeds. Research conducted at Virginia Tech and the University of Illinois showed that hair breed crossbred ewes have a number of advantages over crossbred wooled ewes, including shorter breeding to lambing intervals, higher fertility, higher lamb survival and more pounds of lamb weaned.

When I was a student at Virginia Tech, the Dorset x Blackbelly ewes were among the most productive in the university's 500-ewe flock. Today, research efforts are directed more towards maintaining the purity of hair sheep and using the Blackbelly to improve the reproductive characteristics of other hair breeds and/or create a new breed of hair sheep.
 

Lean red meat
Barbados Blackbelly lambs are purported to have less body fat than other breeds. As is the case with goats, they tend to deposit less subcutaneous fat than wooled breeds, while generally accumulating more fat around the heart and kidneys. Their meat is considered to have a milder, less muttony flavor than the lamb from wooled breeds. Some of the restaurants in Barbados feature local Barbados Blackbelly lamb on the menu – this palate found it to be very tender and tasty, as good as any lamb I have ever tasted.

I think that with proper promotion, "Barbados Blackbelly" lamb could become a local favorite with the tourists. Other restaurants on the island feature imported lamb (New Zealand), and this represents a formidable challenge to the industry, much like in the U.S. It is difficult for local producers to compete on the basis of price and uniformity of supply with New Zealand.
 

Barbados sheep production
Most sheep farms are small. Profitability is hampered by high feed and veterinary costs. Barbados does not grow much of its own livestock feed. At one time, by-products from sugar cane, the country's number one cash crop, provided feed for livestock, but with mechanical harvesting replacing hand labor, the once potential feed is now returned to the field.

Broiler litter is considered a viable option, as the copper status of Barbados soils leans more towards deficiency than toxicity, but there is concern that broiler litter as a feed is not compatible with HAACP standards and consumer tastes.

Imported feeds are twice the price as in the U.S., due to high transportation costs. Moreover, the feed companies/importers are reluctant to sell bulk ingredients, so most producers are forced to buy complete feeds at even greater prices. The price of hay is also high. I visited a horse stable (you can't go to the Caribbean and not go horseback riding on the beach) which had paid $7 BBS ($3.50 US) for a ~30 lb. bale of hay. Hay can be especially pricey when you consider the quality of hay that is being sold – we're not talking alfalfa here.