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Merino
Sign in to saveMerino sheep|thumb Full wool Merino sheep|thumb Merino sheep and red goats, Madrid, Spain|thumb
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- Merino (breed)
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~22 min read
Article
20 sectionsContents
- History
- Etymology
- Origin
- United States Merinos
- Australian Merinos
- Early history
- John and Elizabeth Macarthur
- Eliza and John Furlong
- John Murray
- The Peppin brothers
- Vermont Merinos in Australia
- High price records
- Events
- Animal welfare developments
- Characteristics
- Wool qualities
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
Merino sheep|thumb Full wool Merino sheep|thumb Merino sheep and red goats, Madrid, Spain|thumb
The Merino is a breed or group of breeds of domestic sheep, characterised by very fine soft wool. It was established in the Iberian Peninsula (modern Spain and Portugal) near the end of the Middle Ages, and was for several centuries kept as a strict Spanish monopoly; exports of the breed were not allowed, and those who tried risked capital punishment. During the eighteenth century, flocks were sent to the courts of a number of European countries, including France (where they developed into the Rambouillet), Hungary, the Netherlands, Prussia, Saxony and Sweden.