Tunisian Barbarin

The Tunisian Barbarin is a Tunisian breed of fat-tailed sheep. It is distributed throughout Tunisia,^[3]: 46 and on both sides of the Tunisian border with Algeria, on the Algerian side particularly in the area of Oued Souf.^[2][4] Related to the Awassi^[5]

Tunisian Barbarin

Conservation status	FAO (2007): not at risk[1]: 148
Other names	Tunisian Barbary Constantinois Moutons de l'Oued Souf Tunisien Barbary
Country of origin	Tunisia
Use	meat
Traits
Weight	Male: 75 kg[2] Female: 45 kg[2]
Height	Male: 70 cm[2] Female: 60 cm[2]
Wool colour	white
Face colour	red or black
Horn status	Males horned or hornless, ewes always hornless
Sheep Ovis aries

Shepherd with Barbarin sheep near Bou Achar

At the oasis of Ksar Ghilane in southern Tunisia

History

The Tunisian Barbarin descends from the Near East Fat-tailed. Two Italian breeds, the Barbaresca Siciliana of Sicily and the Laticauda of Calabria and Campania, are derived from it.^[6]: 753

In 1991 the total population in Tunisia was reported to be 5 million;^[2] in 1992, a population of 50 000 was reported in Algeria.^[4] In 2008, the Barbarin constituted about 60% of the overall sheep population in Tunisia, which was estimated to count approximately 4 million ewes.^[3]: 42

Characteristics

The Barbarin is a coarse-wool breed, and is reared mainly for meat.^[6]: 753 It is particularly well adapted to the intense heat of desert areas, and can tolerate brackish water.^[4] The coat is white, and the face is either brick-red or black. The black face gives the animal better resistance to sunlight and to photosensitivity caused by eating Hypericum perforatum, "St. John's Wort".^[2]

Apart from the two principal types, a further eight sub-populations have been identified within the breed. These include an all-black variant, and two "spectacled" sub-types with a white head and patches of colour only around the eyes and round the muzzle: the black-spectacled type is called sardi, and the red-spectacled one, sagaa.^{[3]: 43, 46}