Red Speckled Persian Sheep
Red Speckled Persian Sheep
The Blackheaded Persian originated in the arid regions of east Africa in what is now Somalia. The initial stock was introduced through a small group of sheep off a ship wrecked of the Cape coast in 1869. Somali traders along the eastern coast may have introduced more animals.
It is one of the fat-rumped breeds and both sexes are polled. The breed is now found in South Africa where they are sometimes known by the name Swartkoppersie. Blackheaded Persian sheep has been successfully exported, via South Africa to very humid places like Brazil and the Caribbean. In these conditions they adapted very well.
Chandelier Persian Stud consists of Red headed and Red Speckled Persian sheep. Blackheaded Persians have a white body and black head and neck with the two colors sharply distinguished.
Althouht the group had black heads they might produced some progeny with red heads. Red and black speckled varieties also occur . The Blackheaded Persian is one of the breeds that was used to develop the Dorper.