4. SHEEP BREEDS IN MOROCCO

4.1 Introduction

4.1.1 Common breed definitions

Lush (1945) discussed the genetic basis of differences in breeds of farm animals, which can be summarized as differences in mean gene frequencies, average allelic heterozygosity and epistatic gene combinations. For Quittet (1965), animals belonging to the same breed present distinctive external traits and do not show recent marks of crossbreeding. According to Lerner and Donald (1966), a population of farm animals is termed a breed: a) when it has some predominant identifying features, b) when it has a formal association of breeders, or c) when certain government officials acknowledge it as such. For Hill (1971), breed refers to any closed population, members of which can be identified by phenotype or pedigree. Terrill (1979) defined a breed as a population of interbreeding animals having a common ancestry, Isolated either geographically in history or by the breed association in modern times. The latter author reported a classification of 914 breeds of sheep of the world into 16 types plus a miscellaneous group, based on form, function and origin.

4.1.2 Origins and types of sheep breeds In Morocco

Available statistics show that the Moroccan sheep population is almost entirely native. At the end of French colonization, the number of sheep from exotic breeds was 300 000 head, while the total number of sheep was 10 000 000 (Miegeville, 1952). After independence (in 1956), importation was mainly limited to rams for commercial crossbreeding. Hence, the proportion of exotic sheep (mainly of French origin, i.e. Merinos Précoce, Ile de France, etc.) is in the order of 2 to 3 percent.

In Morocco, the breeds of sheep are mainly dual-purpose animals with meat being the most essential product, and wool the next desirable product. Milk is not commonly produced on a commercial basis, but owners may milk ewes for family use. The various sheep types in Morocco fall into the category of "wooled thin-tailed sheep". In Africa, originally, only the Algerian breeds, the Macina sheep in the Niger, and the Dongola sheep in the Sudan share this category with Moroccan breeds (Epstein, 1971).

With regard to breed description and origin, the first comprehensive report on Moroccan sheep was made by Eyraud (1934). The breeds fall into three geographical subgroups, i.e. the Mountain type or Berber, the breeds of the plateau, and the breeds of the Atlantic coast. The first group is considered to be autochthonous, and the other two migrant, with the second group being of Arab origin, and the third of Syrian origin.

Sagne (1956) hypothesized that the "Arab breeds" derived from the "Atlas Mountain breeds" by increasing the size of the animals at lower altitudes, with the original small Berber stock remaining in the mountains. But, in spite of this assumed geographical mechanism of breed formation, Sagne admitted a migration of sheep with finer wool from Asia. However, a common observation is that Arab tribes brought with them many flocks of sheep and settled in the lowlands of Morocco.

The fact that the breeds of the coastal plains in the west of Morocco are thin-tailed sheep has led authors either to refute their assumed Syrian or Barbary origin (Mason, 1967), or to assume that the fat originally stored in the tail was no longer needed in the new environment (Bourfia, 1987a). The latter hypothesis assumes a migration which is ancient enough to allow for the evolution from a fat-tailed to a thin-tailed sheep.

Another grouping of Moroccan breeds of sheep, made on the basis of wool grades, is worth mentioning. Velu (1934) reported that the wool import companies based in French Atlantic harbours used to categorize wool imported from Morocco into 1) "Wool Aboudia", produced by sheep raised in the northwest of Morocco (Beni Ahsen breed); 2) "Wool Urdighia", from sheep of the western plateau (Tadla and Beni Meskine breeds); 3) "Wool Beldia" of sheep from the plains with several breeds including Doukkala-Abda; and 4) "Wool Beldia" of mountain sheep, with also different types. It should be pointed out that originally wool from the breeds of the eastern plateau (i.e. Beni Gull breed) was exported to France through the Algerian harbour of Oran, and was, hence, assumed to be Algerian wool. Blanic (1921), cited by Velu (1934), was the author who gave the original descriptions of the above categories of Moroccan wool.

4.2 Sheep breeds in Morocco

4.2.1 Introduction

An inventory of Moroccan sheep breeds is not an easy task given the need for data that are necessary for the characterization of the breed types. While some data do exist, much of the information is not readily available. However, efforts were made to describe a group of breeds, and some are believed to be still "undiscovered", as was the case for the D'Man breed until recently.

Mason (1969) presented some twenty different breeds of sheep in Morocco, excluding the D'Man. Ministry of Agriculture statistics gave the sheep population size as approximately 14 million head in 1987. Expected numbers for the most common breeds and types as estimated by Bourfia (1988a) are given in Table 4.1 The mapping of the corresponding areas is not yet complete; Figure 4.1 shows roughly the location of breeds without defining area limits for a given breed. Because of the marked geographical effects on breed formation, the breeds are presented according to their natural areas.

Table 4.1: Moroccan sheep breeds: approximate population size
(Bourfia, 1988a)

Figure 4.1 Approximate distribution of the main sheep breeds

4.2.2 Mountain sheep

The Atlas and Rif mountain types (previously known as Berber) are the most ancient and primitive sheep in Morocco, as illustrated on rock paintings of the Stone Age. They are spread over a large and heterogeneous area, i.e. the high Atlas, the middle Atlas, the anti-Atlas, and the Rif. The specific environment and management helped to develop several breeds, but only a few types have been described, i.e. Aknoul, Ait Barka, Marmoucha, Ait Mohad, Tounfite, Ait Hadiddou, Siroua, Guigou, Imin'Tanout, Ouaouizart, etc. Usually, the height and weight of the breeds are a function of the altitude of the mountain range, their exposure to rain or snow, and the possibility to use additional pasture grounds. This flexibility is a reflection of the hardiness of the mountain breeds. Contrary to Algeria, where Sagne (1956) reported that most of the sheep in the Kabyle area were replaced by Arab breeds, Mountain types are still found in Morocco.

In spite of their smallness, mountain types are considered to be good mutton breeds, i.e. fine—boned animals with well-muscled thighs, and a dressing percentage ranging from 48 to 50. The largest of the mountain sheep is the Ait Mohad breed in the high Atlas, south of the upper Moulouya valley, in the region of Rich, with a height of 65-70 cm, and average weight of 40 kg for the ram; while the Aknoul breed, to the north of Taza, is a dwarf sheep with a ram weight of 25 to 30 kg. The former breed is characterized by the absence of horns in both male and female. The Aknoul breed has two features similar to the Karakul breed: the lack of the projecting portion of the external ears (i.e. pinna), and the curly fleece of the newborn lamb (Miegeville, 1952; Sagne, 1956). In addition, the Aknoul sheep is completely black, as is the Ait Barka breed found at Demnat, south-east of Marrakech. The size of the Ait Barka sheep is similar to that of the Aknoul (Eyraud, 1934), while the wool is coarser than that of the Aknoul (Miegeville, 1952).

In the Taza district, situated between the Rif and the middle Atlas, the Marmoucha breed with two varieties has been described (Table 4.2), (Eyraud, 1934; Grimpret, 1936). Two other Berber types were found between Rich and the Moulouya valley, namely the Tounfite and Ait Hadiddou, with the latter breed being kept at. higher altitudes. The size of the Ait Hadiddou is smaller than that of the Tounfite, but its wool is finer. The description of the two latter breeds is also given in Table 4.2 after Sacconney (1938).

With regard to the distribution of coat colour in Moroccan Berber breeds of sheep, Ryder and Stephenson (1968) reported that black, white, and variegated sheep represented 20, 20, and 60 percent, respectively.

Table 4.2.: Description of some mountain breeds of sheep (Eyraud, 1934; Grimpret, 1936; Sacconney, 1938)

The Berber fleece is usually coarse, open, with few or no crimps and a staple length in the order of 20-30 cm (Eyraud, 1934). The wool, however, can be of a good quality as in the case of the Siroua breed, south-west of Ouarzazate. From the fleece of the latter breed the famous "carpet of Tazenakht" is woven (Ezzahiri, 1981). It is believed (Bourfia, 1988c) that this breed evolved from the Ait Barka breed by selection on wool.

Further characteristics of fleeces from various Moroccan breeds are given in Table 4.3: (i.e. greasy fleece weight, staple length, fibre diameter, and quality grade), and in Table 4.4 (i.e. kemp, which is commonly regarded as an undesirable fibre in wool).

Table 4.3: Classification and fleece characteristics of Moroccan breeds of sheep

(1) Original values from Aldebert (1955)

(2) Values from Abdelali (1988)

* Staple length value from Eyraud (1934)

Table 4.4: Importance of kemp in fleeces from Moroccan breeds

A) Classification of Moroccan breeds with regard to kemp

(Aldebert, 1955)

B) Amount of kemp in some Moroccan breeds

(Bourfia et al, 1987; using a scale of 0 to 6,
with 0 being no kemp and 6 being a maximum)

(1) Atlantic coast breeds

(2) Eastern plateaux breeds

(3) Western plateaux breeds

(4) Mountain breeds

(5) Intermediate types

(6) Southern oases breed

4.2.3 Plateau breeds

They are categorized into eastern and western plateau types.

4.2.3.1 Eastern plateau

The eastern plateau types, generally known as the Beni Guil breed, are moderately large sheep, hardy and good walkers; the head and legs are bare and generally brown. They are commonly classed into three varieties, namely Harcha, Tounsint, and Zoulay.

a) Harcha variety

Usually considered as the prototype of the Beni Guil breed, the Harcha variety is the tallest and the heaviest. The name "Harcha" came from the variation found in the fleece containing fine and coarse staples; the quality grade of staples from the same fleece may vary from 46 to 56s (Eyraud, 1934). In earlier times, the production of Beni Guil lambs was primarily for export, because of the high quality of its meat. The Beni Guil was exported to France (Bordeaux, Marseilles) under the name of the Small Oranian (le Petit Oranais), and especially males of approximately 18 months with a liveweight of 40-42 kg, dressing out at 50 percent, and with well muscled thighs (Eyraud, 1934). These exports continued until the early 1970s.

b) Tounsint variety

The Tounsint variety is found north of the breeding area of the Harcha, and is in fact a sub-variety of the Harcha with a more homogeneous fleece, but the quality grade is on average lower than that of the Harcha (Eyraud, 1934; Aldebert, 1955).

c) Zoulay variety

The Zoulay variety in the region of Outat El Haj, Guercif, and Midelt, is derived by crossing Tounsint and Berber types of the upper Moulouya valley. It is of smaller size and the fleece is coarser. The horns are small and are sometimes absent; the frequency of polled males (called "Fartas") is in the order of 10 percent.

The main characteristics of the eastern plateau breeds are summarized in Table 4.5, and further fleece features are given in Table 4.3 and Table 4.4

Table 4.5: Characteristics of eastern plateau breeds
(Values from Eyraud, 1934 and Aldebert, 1955)

It should be pointed out that Geoffroy Saint Hilaire (1920) described only two varieties in the eastern plateau, namely the Angad and the Beni Guil. The author's description of the Beni Guil variety is similar to that given above for the Harcha type, while the Angad variety of a smaller size, and with a coarser fleece and smaller horns, resembles the Zoulay type.

4.2.3.2 Western plateau

The western plateaux comprise mainly two breed types, namely Tadla and Beni Meskine:

a) Tadla

The Tadla breed is found on the plateau of Kasba Tadla and Oued Zem. Following cultivation of most of the pastureland of the breeding area, purebred Tadla sheep are declining in numbers. Tadla are the largest sheep in Morocco; the ram may weigh more than 100 kg, and may exceed 100 cm in height (Miegeville, 1952). The horns are heavy and a single horn may weigh 0.5 kg (Eyraud, 1934). The colour of the fleece is yellowish white.

b) Beni meskine

The Beni Meskine breed is smaller than the Tadla as shown in Table 4.6 and its fleece has less kemp (Table 4.4). Its breeding area is to the west of that of the Tadla, in the region of El Brouj. A variety of Beni Meskine breed with spectacles and a black nose evolved into the Sardi breed (Eyraud, 1934). Further fleece characteristics for western plateau breeds are given in Table 4.4 and 4.5

Table 4.6: Size and slaughter characteristics of western
plateau breeds
(Values from Eyraud, 1934)

4.2.4 Breeds resulting from crossing plateau and mountain types

Because of transhumance and the restricted pasture grounds due to cultivation, animals of the Tadla breed were crossed with mountain breed types, and this gave rise to new varieties such as Zaian, El Hammam-Azrou, Rehamna-Sraghna, and Zemrane.

4.2.4.1 Zaian

Its area is bound to the west by Zaers, to the north by Oulmes, to the east by El Hammam, and to the south by Khenifra (Eyraud, 1934). As shown in Table 4.7, the Tadla breed had a marked influence on the Zaian with regard to height and weight, but the wool of the breed remained coarse.

4.2.4.2 El Hammam-Azrou

As we go further to the east, the influence of the Tadla breed becomes less important in crosses. The El Hammam-Azrou variety reflects more the mountain type characteristics. Table 4.7 shows that the animals are shorter and lighter than the Zaian; the fleece is also coarser.

4.2.4.3 Rehamna-Sraghna and Zemrane

The well-known pasture ground of El Hadra in the region of Rehamna and Sraghna (north-east of Marrakech) has helped to combine the Tadla and the Berber breeds into the Rehamna-Sraghna and Zemrane varieties.

a) Rehamna-Sraghna

Table 4.7 shows that the Rehamna-Sraghna variety reflects the large size of the Tadla breed and the good conformation of the Atlas Mountain breeds with a higher influence from the former. The quality of wool is also satisfactory (Table 4.3).

b) Zemrane

The Zemrane variety, which is closer to the mountain variety, and in particular to the Ait Barka breed in the region of Demnat, is less influenced by the Tadla breed and the animals are shorter and lighter; young rams of 15-18 months weigh only 30-35 kg. The fleece of the Zemrane is also coarser than that of the Rehamna-Sraghna (Eyraud, 1934).

Table 4.7: Characteristics of intermediate types
(values from Eyraud, 1934)

* Location with respect to the breeding area of the Tadla breed

(1) Young rams 18 months old

(2) Young rams 18-20 months old

(3) Young rams 15-18 months old

4.2.5 Atlantic coast breeds

On the Atlantic shore, rather different breed types are found with mainly the Doukkala-Abda in the south and the Beni Ahsen in the north. The animals have a long neck with a dewlap, and prominent shoulders. The height at withers is similar to that of the Tadla breed, but their weight is lighter; this results in poorer conformation. The colour is commonly white with, in general, a black or pale brown head.

4.2.5.1 Beni Ahsen

Based on the available literature, and by direct observation of registered animals, Bourfia (1987a) estimated the height, weight, and length of Beni Ahsen animals (Table 4.8).

Table 4.8: Weight, height, and length of the Beni Ahsen breed

(Standard deviations are given between brackets)

Beni Ahsen male lambs born as single from mature dams weigh 4 kg at birth, 22 kg at weaning (3 months), and 34 kg at 6 months, and dress out at 45-50 percent (Bourfia, 1987a). Fleece characteristics are summarized in Table 4.3 and 4.4.

Purebred Beni Ahsen are found on the banks of the Sebou river as far as Mechraa Bel Ksiri in the north-east, and the Atlantic shore in the south-west. The Beni Ahsen should not be confused with the Zemmour type found in the south-east in the region of Tiflet, with a less developed dewlap and a coarser fleece (Table 4.4), or with the Kerkoub type which has a smaller size, shorter ears, and a coarser wool (Bourfia, 1987a).

4.2.5.2 Doukkala-Abda

Purebred Doukkala-Abda animals are found on the coastal plains in the west of Morocco as far as the Oum-Errabia river in the north, and the Tensift river in the south. They are lighter than the Beni Ahsen, the ram weight being in the order of 50-55 kg (Eyraud, 1934), and the fleece is coarser (Table 4.3 and 4.4).

4.2.6 Oases breed(s): the D'Man (Demmane)

From the early 1970s, and especially from the early 1980s, the D'Man breed has been studied extensively, and its possible use for the intensification of lamb production in Morocco or other countries has generated considerable interest. Contrary to reports so far recorded, the D'Man breed was not "discovered" in the early 1970s. The general survey conducted in 1962 in Morocco, pointed out that "the ewe fecundity was variable from one region to another, and attained on average 62 percent in the cereal crop areas, and 115 percent in the southern oases".

The D'Man breed is located in the oases, south of the high Atlas in the valleys of Draa (south-west), Ziz (south-east), and Dads (between the two regions). This geographical distribution probably created different varieties within the D'Man which for now is considered as the same breed. The D'Man is not a range sheep. The animals are kept in complete confinement and always in very small numbers (1 to 5). Alfalfa, green or as hay, culled dates, etc. are brought to the sheep daily.

The name D'Man, or rather Demmane as suggested by the National Association of Sheep and Goats, which is closer to the right pronunciation, came from the general black colour of the breed, although animals can be black, brown, white, or variegated.

Both male and female are polled, and the neck sometimes carries wattles. However, wattles are also observed in other breeds, but with a smaller frequency (Bourfia, 1988b). The wool is of poor quality, generally only covering the back (Table 4.3).

Results are accumulating which characterize the D'Man for the type and traits of economic importance. The D'Man ewe is essentially aseasonal with a possibility of achieving two lambings per ewe per year. The litter size at birth averages 2, and the total lamb weight at weaning (3 months) produced by the D'Man ewe amounts to approximately 70 percent of its own weight which is estimated to be in the order of 30-35 kg (Bourfia, 1987b). The use of the D'Man in crossbreeding presents a rapid means of increasing efficiency of lamb production in Morocco.

4.3 Discussion

4.3.1 Present breed organization

The Flock Books of the breeds are managed by the National Association of Sheep and Goats, known in short as ANOC. In a survey made by Bourfia (1987, unpublished) for the Sheep and Goat Commission for the European Association of Animal Production, registered ewes and corresponding flocks were presented (Table 4.9).

Table 4.9: Number of ewes registered in Morocco and corresponding
breeds and flocks in 1987

The "portion registered" given in the right-hand column is obtained by dividing the number of ewes in Table 4.9 by that given in Table 4.1 Plans are being made to include the D'Man breed in the scheme, extend the scheme to more animals within the breed, and open a Flock Book per breed. A nucleus scheme for the Timahdit breed is expected to be created by the end of 1988 in order to start a progeny testing programme. It would seem that the sheep industry is finally becoming organized!

4.3.2 History of breed evaluation

For efficient sheep breeding the first task is to document local breeds, and the first report on this matter was made by a group of Australian experts invited by the colonial French administration to evaluate Moroccan sheep at the beginning of 1919. As reported by Geoffroy Saint Hilaire (1920), the group of experts was favourably impressed by the potential of sheep breeds in Morocco.

In the early 1930s, a sheep experimental station was created at Ain Djemaa, south of Casablanca. The results obtained for growth traits for Moroccan breeds were compared to data obtained in France at that time as summarized in Table 4.10 and 4.11 (Velu, 1934). The conclusion drawn from the comparison was that Moroccan sheep breeds occupied an honourable position.

Table 4.10: Liveweight (kg) of lambs from Moroccan
and French breeds from birth to 9 months
Values from Velu (1934)

Table 4.11: Growth rate (kg/day) of lambs from Moroccan
and French breeds from birth to 9 months

Values from Velu (1934)

Table 4.12: Performance of D'Man, Beni Guil, and Sardi
breeds of sheep studied in the 1970s and early 1980s

(Bourfia, 1987b)

(1) Total mortality from birth to weaning
(90 days).

(2) Average daily gain from birth to 30 days (ADG1), and average daily gain from 30 to 90 days in grams/day (ADG2). The weights are given in kg for birth and weaning weights.

N Number of reported studies.

M Entire male lamb.

Mention should be made that the period of colonization by France and Spain (i.e. 1912-56) included two world wars with all the severe consequences for the occupied country. At independence, native breed organization was minimal, because trained personnel, relevant technology (computers etc.), documentation on work, already done, and finance were in short supply. In the early 1970s extensive work on breed characterization was again initiated.

Some of the results from the latter period are summarized in Table 4.12

4.3.3 Origin and evolution of Moroccan sheep breeds

4.3.3.1 Beni Guil

Originally, only the Harcha and Tounsint varieties were recognized by the National Association of Sheep and Goats (ANOC) under the name of "Beni Guil" breed. However, at the present time, this may include some Zoulay animals following the official recognition of a larger area for the Beni Guil breed (Official Bulletin, number 3768 of January 1985).

4.3.3.2 Tadla

Owing to the cultivation of pasture grounds, the area of the Tadla breed became restricted, and most of the animals of the breed were used in crossbreeding with Berber types. Bourfia (1988c) suspects that the remainder of the Tadla is what the ANOC recognizes as the "Boujaad" breed (see Tables 4.1 and 4.3).

4.3.3.3 Timahdit

The El Hammam-Azrou variety also included the Timahdit, which had a smaller size (Table 4.7) and was distinguished by a black head and neck (Eyraud, 1934 and Miegeville, 1952). However, at the present time, both Zaian and El Hammam-Azrou are considered to be the same breed by the National Association of Sheep and Goats (ANOC) under the name of "Timahdit", and only the animals with a brown face are recognized as belonging to the breed. It is worth mentioning that not only has the Tadla breed contributed to the development of the Timahdit breed, but the Beni Guil breed has also played a role (Bourfia, 1988c).

4.3.3.4 Sardi

The neat whiteness of the Sardi breed and its open spiral-shaped horns known in the region as "Chatbi" (Bourfia, 1988b) led to the use of the Sardi breed as the preferred sheep in celebrating the Abraham event, since the prophet Mohammed used for the occasion "two white and horned rams". Such a high demand for the Sardi pattern probably played a major role in increasing the area of the Sardi breed by grading-up by crossing with the Tadla breed, since the Sardi pattern colour is dominant (Bourfia, 1988c).

4.3.3.5 Atlantic coast breeds

The fattening trials for the Atlantic coast breeds conducted in the 1920s and 1930s were less successful; and because of the demand of the market for export at that time, it was concluded that the Atlantic coast lambs were less desirable for mutton production. As a result, the Atlantic coast breeds, and in particular the Beni Ahsen in the rich area of Gharb, are decreasing in numbers as purebreds. Bourfia (1987a) suggested a plan to preserve the Beni Ahsen breed which contributed in the past to the Merino sheep. Epstein (1971) reported that in medieval times, Moroccan sheep were used in Spain as breeding stock for wool improvement. Unless concrete steps are taken, the Beni Ahsen breed might disappear in the near future.

4.3.3.6 D'Man

The hairy fleece, the small size, and the colour pattern of the fleece led Mason (1980) to suggest an important contribution to D'Man ancestry from the forest hair sheep of West Africa, and in particular the Fouta Djallon breed of the Cameroon. However Mason (1980) himself recognized that despite the similar colour pattern, the Barbados Blackbelly breed and its assumed ancestor from the Cameroon have a clearly different prolificacy. The same applies to the D'Man, and Bourfia (1988c) suggests a more likely contribution from a Moroccan breed to the development of the D'Man.

4.4 Conclusion

Efforts should be made to preserve the native breeds which, with our advancing knowledge of their genetic potential, can be better utilized in the future. The concern is not simply that the Atlantic coast breeds, including the Beni Ahsen will be lost, but that potentially valuable Berber breeds will be genetically diluted through indiscriminate crossbreeding.

In addition to the breeds described above, many other different types of sheep can be found all over Morocco, occasionally localized in a small area or region. Some of these types can have an interesting feature as was the case for the D'Man breed. The point at issue is not so much the conservation of native breeds of sheep per se, but the genetic evaluation and appropriate utilization of these breeds in Morocco as well as in other interested countries.