Rideau are a Maternal
Breed of Sheep

The Rideau are Selected for:
• multiple births • high fertility
• milk production • growth rate

Adult Rideau ewes will raise 3 or 4 lambs with no supplementary milk, and achieve adjusted 50 day litter weights in excess of 100kgs.

Rideaus were established at the Animal Research Centre in Ottawa and delivered by hysterectomy, in 1980.

The breed is mainly composed of East Friesian, Finnish Landrace and Suffolk strains. They are tall, medium weight sheep with a clean face and legs which are usually white, bronze or mottled. The wool is of medium quality, and the carcass quality is better than average.

Average lambing percentage: 250-300%
Average liveweight gains: 0.37 kg/day (0.8 lbs)
Mature weight of ewes: 85 kg (185 lbs)
Mature weight of rams: 110 kg (240 lbs)

The breed is naturally very fertile, reaching sexual maturity before 7 months of age. Rideau genetics are ideal for inclusion in crossbred ewes because of their strong maternal traits. They have been crossed successfully with most popular breeds. Rideaus are best known for their milk production and in trials at the University of Minnesota, proved to be superior producers. They are capable of yielding between 100 and 200 litres in a lactation. When raising lambs, the combined adjusted 50 day weight of their litters is commonly as follows:
Twins: 50 - 65 kg, Triplets: 65 - 90 kg, Quads: 75 - 110 kg