The Morada Nova sheep is a breed of domestic sheep from Brazil. It was originated in the state of Ceará, in Nordeste, the north-eastern region of Brazil, on the Atlantic coast.
And it is mainly distributed throughout Nordeste. The breed is known by some other names such as Brazilian Woolless, Deslanado do Nordeste, Deslanado vermelho and Deslanado branco.
The breed is probably of African origin, and may also be related to a Portugal breed called Bordaleiro.
The name of the breed was given to the red variety by Prof. Octavio Domingues, during his visit to Northeast Brazil in June 1927, because they were first seen by him in the Municipality of Morada Nova, State of Ceará.
The breed does have a breed association in Brazil. Read some more information about this Brazilian breed of domestic sheep below.
Morada Nova Sheep Characteristics
The Morada Nova sheep is a relatively smaller sized breed. These animals have deep thorax, flat ribs, thin rump, not very developed belly and well muscled thighs.
Their head is broad and long. The neck is thin and they have short muzzle. Their tail is long and thin, and the hooves are small but strong. Their coat color is of various shades of red, and a white variety is also available.
Both rams and ewes are usually polled. But the rams may have scurs, and the ewes are hornless. Average body height of the mature ewes is around 61 cm, and around 65 cm for the rams.
Average live body weight of the mature Morada Nova ewes is about 30 kg. And the mature rams on average weight around 40 kg. Photo and info from FAO and Wikipedia.
Uses
The Morada Nova sheep are dual-purpose animals. They are raised for both meat and hide. But they are mainly used and very good for the production of meat.
Special Notes
The Morada Nova sheep are very strong and hardy animals. They are well adapted to the varied climatic conditions of their native area.
They are also well able to forage in the caatinga scrub biome of the area. They are docile animals in terms of temperament.
Although the Morada Nova sheep are dual-purpose animals. But they are especially very good for meat production. The animals are slaughtered within their 18 to 24 months of age, when they weight between 27 and 35 kg.
The rams are usually not castrated. Along with quality meat production, their hides are also of good quality. It has been reported that they have a litter size of 1.32 to 1.76. However, review full breed profile of the Morada Nova sheep in the following chart.
| Breed Name | Morada Nova |
| Other Name | Also known by some other names such as Brazilian Woolless, Deslanado do Nordeste, Deslanado vermelho and Deslanado branco. |
| Breed Purpose | Dual-purpose. Meat and hide |
| Special Notes | Very hardy and strong animals, dual-purpose animals, good for both meat and hide production, well adapted to the varied climatic conditions of the native area, well able to forage in the caatinga scrub biome of their native area, docile |
| Breed Size | Small |
| Weight | Between 30 and 40 kg |
| Horns | No |
| Climate Tolerance | Native climates |
| Color | Red, and also available in white |
| Rarity | Common |
| Country/Place of Origin | Brazil |
