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HISTORICAL REVIEW
THE sheep industry in
Canada dates back almost to the beginning of her agriculture, for the
first settlers, as soon as they were able to do so, established little
flocks of sheep to supply both food and clothing for their families. The
first sheep to come to Canada, according to record, were brought from
France in the middle of the seventeenth century. Others followed from
time to time during the French regime, but for nearly one hundred years
afterwards no other sheep were brought in. These French sheep were
small, and are said to have much resembled the Cheviot in size and
conformation, particularly in the shape of the head, while the quality
and weight of the fleece were much the same.
Toward the end of the eighteenth century, colonies of United Empire
Loyalists that settled in the Maritime Provinces, Quebec and Ontario,
brought with them from New York, Pennsylvania and other Eastern States,
such sheep as were common in the districts from which they came. These,
as a rule, were grades of the leading English breeds in those days,
including Cotswold, Leicester, Hampshire and Southdown. As early as
1830, British immigrants commenced to bring small stocks of sheep, and
by these the quality of the established Canadian flocks was improved.
About the year 1842, a small number of Leicesters and Cotswolds were
imported from England, and a few years later, Southdowns began to
appear. From that time onward, shipments were landed almost every year.
A report of the first provincial exhibition held in Toronto in 1846
states that the exhibits of Leicesters and Southdowns were of excellent
quality and well adapted to the country. Two years later, in addition to
the two breeds already named, Merinos were shown at the provincial
exhibition. The numbers increased year by year, until the exhibit at
London in 1854 amounted to 400 head, divided as follows: Leicesters,
200; Southdowns, 44; Cotswolds, 30; the last named being newly imported
by George Miller, of Markham. In addition to a small exhibit of
Cheviots, made that year by George Ruddick, of Northumberland county,
the remainder consisted of grades. The following year the show of
Leicesters was not quite so large but the entries of Southdowns,
Cotswolds and Cheviots were more numerous than heretofore. The prize
winners were as follows:
Leicesters.— Chris. Walker, London; Wm. Miller, Pickering; Geo. Miller,
Markham; and Jas. Dickson, Clark.
Southdowns.—John Spencer, Whitby; R. W. Gordon, Paris; R. W. Stanley,
Haldimand; Richard Coats, Oakville, and A. Burroughs, Brantford.
Cotsiuolds.—John Snell, Edmonton, Ont.; Wm. Smith, Clark; Wm. Miller,
Pickering; F. W. Stone, Guelph, and Geo. Miller, Markham.
Cheviots.—Wm. Ruddick, Markham.
A number of these men occasionally showed at the New York State Fair and
brought away much of the prize money competed for. The entries of
purebreds kept up well. In 1858, the show of Leicesters numbered 188;
Cotswolds, 39; Cheviots, 15; Southdowns, 49; Longwools, not pure-bred,
68; Merinos, 29 and fat sheep, 19. The Longwools, including grade
Cotswolds, Leicesters and Lincolns, were magnificent sheep, equal in
many respects to the pure-bred classes. The Merinos and Cheviots did not
gain ground, but all of the other breeds improved, multiplied and
increased in popularity until the sheep industry of the country in the
early 'sixties had become a very popular and profitable branch of
farming.
To encourage importation, the Board of Agriculture of Ontario in the
early fifties resolved to double, and a few years later to triple, the
amount of any first prize won at the provincial exhibition by an animal
imported during the year. An increasing number of enterprising men, year
after year, took advantage of the opportunity to introduce improved
blood into their flocks, which by this time had grown numerous and many
of them fairly large. County agricultural societies also took a keen
interest in stock improvement by purchasing and distributing improved
males among their members. For example, in 1854, Grey County Society
bought ten rams and sold them for $285. Three years later the Kent
County Society paid $320 for twenty-one rams and sold them for $175.
Much good resulted from this public-spirited effort.
As early as 1883, sheep were introduced into Manitoba, when the Hudson's
Bay Company was commencing to develop the country. Governor Simpson of
that Company, with the object of benefiting the little band of settlers
that comprised the Selkirk colony, organized a joint stock company and
sent agents south into the United States to buy sheep. These agents went
first to Missouri and then to Kentucky, where they purchased 1,745 sheep
at about $1.50 each, and started to drive them back to the colony on the
banks of the Red river. Through bad management most of the sheep died on
the journey, only 251 arriving at their destination. Subsequently the
shareholders of the company quarrelled and the Governor took over what
was left of the flock. These were sold at auction, and brought as high
as $2 each, a high price in those days. Somewhere about 1840, the
Hudson's Bay Company is said to have brought from England some pure-bred
rams for the improvement of the sheep of the colony.
A few years later, sheep arrived in the Pacific province under somewhat
similar circumstances. The Hudson's Bay Company, and later the Puget
Sound Agricultural Company, the latter composed of Hudson's Bay
employees, established farms at Fort Nisqually, on the plains of what is
now Washington state, a few miles distant from the city of Tacoma. At
that time this territory was under the control of the Hudson's Bay
Company, the international boundary between the United States and the
British possessions on that part of the continent not having been
decided. Sheep driven from California were purchased by the agents of
the companies, until in the early 'forties the flocks numbered some
thousands. The quality of these sheep was improved by the importation
from time to time of well-bred rams from Great Britain, via Cape Horn on
sailing ships, which brought for the companies their annual mail and
fresh stocks of goods. When the boundary line was finally agreed on,
these flocks were disposed of, a large number of sheep going to Oregon,
where they played an important part in forming the great sheep industry
of that state, and from there were scattered over the neighbouring
states. It will thus be seen that the early British settlers were among
the first promoters of improved sheep husbandry in the Pacific
northwest.
On the establishment, in 1843, of a Hudson's Bay post on the site of the
present city of Victoria, British Columbia, at the southern end of
Vancouver Island, farms were located by the two above-named companies
and sheep brought from Fort Nisqually to stock them. These sheep were
principally of the Merino. Southdown and Leicester blood, and were the
foundation of the sheep-breeding industry in that province. They did
well, and, in 1849, numbered several hundred head, in spite of the
depredations of panthers, wolves and bears, and occasionally of vagrant
dogs. The sheep were herded by armed Indian shepherds in the day time
and corralled at night. Indians from early times showed their
appreciation of a change of diet from fish and venison by occasionally
raiding flocks. This love of mutton made a little British Columbia
historv in the early 'fifties, when a warlike band of Indians swooped
down from their village a short distance up the coast to Victoria, and
raided a flock, murdered the shepherd, and carried off a number of
sheep. Their village was visited by a British gunboat from Victoria some
time afterwards, and the murderers were captured and hanged on a tree
nearby. The first experience of British justice made a deep impression
on the natives, which was shown by their carving and painting a large
figure of a British marine standing at attention. This adorned a
prominent spot in the village for years afterwards.
The Hudson's Bay Company continued to assist the farmers in this
province by establishing small private flocks near Victoria. These were
owned and kept by employees of the Company. This Company, as well as the
Puget Sound companies and private individuals imported improved rams
from Great Britain for the use of the Pacific coast settlers.
As early as 1671, Acadia (Nova Scotia), is credited with 407 head of
sheep. Eight years later, New France (Quebec) had 719 head. One hundred
years later, Quebec flocks contained 84,696 head, which after another
sixty years had increased to more than 600,000 head. The adjoining
province of Upper Canada (Ontario) at that time supported about 500,000
sheep. In 1851 Lower Canada (Quebec), is credited with about 650,000
head and Nova Scotia with 282,000. Ten years later Upper Canada had
1,170,000 head and Lower Canada 683,000. The sheep in those days
corresponded closely with the number of cattle kept, which was
considerably more than either the hogs or the horses maintained on the
farms.
While sheep raising is carried on chiefly with small flocks along with
other stock in "mixed" farming, it is also conducted under the ranching
system in Southern Alberta, where it has reached its greatest
development, as well as in the provinces of Saskatchewan and British
Columbia. Ranch flocks vary in size from one thousand up to twenty
thousand head in a few cases. The foundation of the stock making up the
ranching bands came largely from the adjoining states of the American
Union, and was chiefly of Merino breeding. The original stock produced
small carcasses and heavy fleeces of fine wool. In order to increase the
weight of carcasses and lengthen the wool staple Down and Longwoolled
sires have been introduced. The bands are grazed under the care of
herders the year round. In winter the sheep are expected to "rustle a
living," which they can usually secure with a little assistance on the
part of the shepherd, who, when necessary, by the use of a snow plough,
breaks the crust uncovering the grass, and at times provides an
allowance of fodder put up the previous season. The produce of these
bands, finished on screenings and other suitable foods, develop a very
high quality of fleece and carcass.
With the exception of the Rambouillet, the sheep that have been imported
into Canada are of the British breeds, and comprise Shropshire, Lincoln,
Cotswold, Oxford, Leicester, Dorset Horn, Suffolk, Hampshire, Southdown,
Cheviot, Romney Marsh, and Corriedale. For all these breeds pedigree
registration has been established under the National Live Stock Record
system.
You can download this book here in
pdf format
Visit the Canadian
Sheep Federation Web Site
Fresh Canadian Lamb
Fresh Canadian Lamb is for lamb producers, grocery
retailers, and food-service professionals across Canada. This is your
resource site for preparing and merchandising lamb products for sale and
consumption. Here you will find the information and resources you need
to promote Canadian lamb as a versatile and easy-to-prepare product -
one that is marketable to consumers as a healthy and delicious choice
for everyday meals.
Selection of Lamb Cuts
As it seems most Canadians don't eat much lamb I thought I'd provide
this small pdf book which describes the various cuts of meat and
provides a few recipes as well. |
