Van Rooy
Van Rooy is a South African white fat-tailed hair sheep developed in the early twentieth century from indigenous Afrikaner-type sheep with added meat and wool-breed influence. It was bred for arid and semi-arid country where a sheep needed to walk, breed, and raise lambs under heat and limited grazing. The breed is generally white, polled, with drooping ears and a fat tail that stores energy in harsh seasons.
Van Rooy sheep are used for meat production and as hardy maternal or foundation genetics in dryland crossbreeding. They do not need shearing like wool sheep, but they still need good fencing, mineral balance, and culling for feet, fertility, and shedding coat. In wetter regions, parasite pressure and hoof problems may require more intervention than the breed needs in its home climate. Buyers should look for function, not only the white hair coat.
