Breed Characteristics

Head

The head shows much character and presence

The head and cheeks carry wool

The ears are large and fine

Face

The face is brown and there is no wool on the face

The nose is reasonably long and the muzzle broad

Body

The body is long with a broad back, well sprung ribs, strong loin and deep gigot.

The adult male weighs between 110 and 140kg

The adult female will weigh between 80 and 110kg

The legs are of medium bone and lightly covered

The Vendéen is not a long legged breed but it should not be too close to the ground

 

Wool

The fleece is of excellent quality, being of fine down type and very uniform in fibre length, with no coarse kempy wool on the lower part of the hindquarters.

The staple length is 5 to 7cm and the average fleece weight is 3.5kg per sheep.

The ewe is similar to the ram except the head is feminine and stylish.