AFRINO Sheep Breeders Association of South Africa

The AFRINO Sheep Breeders' Society was established on the 5th of February 1980, at a meeting held on the Carnarvon Experimental Station. At the meeting the standards for the AFRINO sheep breed were drawn up.

The primary goals of the Society today, are to maintain the breed standards, and to to promote benefits of the AFRINO sheep breed to both established and prospective stock farmers. Read More...

The Society also runs the "Veldram" project from which the benchmark for the AFRINO sheep breed is set.

Click here for the application form should wish to join the Society.

The AFRINO Sheep Breed

Breed Characteristics:

Hardiness & Adaptability

In all breeds which have to produce and reproduce under adverse or sub-optimum environments, hardiness and adaptability are of paramount importance.

Hardy & Adaptable

Selection of breeding sires and dams takes place under the same conditions than those in which their offspring have to produce and reproduce. Another reason being that wool production is only 3 - 4 % of it's body weight.

Meat

The AFRINO sheep breed is known for its high quality meat with an even fat distribution over the carcass. Lambs do not accumulate fat at an early age and can therefore be marketed at a later stage and a higher body weight.Average marketing age is 7 -8 months under extensive conditions. Under feedlot or favourable conditions, lambs reach marketing weight as early as three months of age.

Wool

The AFRINO sheep produces Merino type wool, with a fibre diameter ranging from 18 to 22 micron. During selection, much emphasis is placed on wool quality (micron, crimp definition, clean yield), while care is taken not to decrease the amount of wool produced.

Production & Reproduction

In AFRINO sheep 80% of income is generated through meat production and 20% through wool production. The main selection objective is therefore to increase lifetime weight of lamb produced per ewe.

Reproduction

In the selection program, emphasis is placed not only on the quantity of lambs produced, but also on their quality. Therefore, lifetime total weight of lamb produced per ewe is the main selection objective. AFRINO ewes have outstanding mothering abilities and even in flocks where 500 - 600 ewes are lambing, bottle-fed lambs will rarely be found. Lambing difficulties are extremely rare.