Rambouillets are one of the most prevalent breeds of sheep in the United States, especially in the Western states, where they are kept on the prairies by the thousands and tens of thousands.

The Rambouillet is a large, attractive animal best known for its wool; the great adaptability and excellent wool production of this animal make it an ideal sheep. Throughout its existence, the Rambouillet has lived in a variety of different climates and adapted well to each of them. They are capable of living in both very hot weather, like that of North Africa and Spain, and very cold weather like that found in parts of Germany. They can also adapt to various feeding conditions and do well on a diet of grass eaten while grazing. When traveling, it is not necessary to bring lots of food for the Rambouillet, because they can travel quite a ways subsisting only on what food they can forage. Rambouillet rams are often crossed with ewes of other breeds to improve the weight gain and wool production of the other breed. Rambouillets have a very strong flocking instinct and they can be counted on to stay together, even in wide-open regions.

An impressively sized animal, Rambouillet rams can weigh up to 300 pounds and ewes up to 200 pounds. Their best-known feature is their wool, which is fine, yet dense and quite long. The longer wool, usually over three inches in length, results in more thread length in each pound of wool. In the past these sheep had wool covered faces, however Rambouillets today are bred to be opened-faced, rather than wooled for ease of keeping and to prevent wool blindness. Rambouillet rams can be either horned or polled. While some breeders prefer one to the other, there is no noticeable difference in performance between horned and polled rams.

Today's Rambouillet can trace its origin back to the sheep of the African Moors that invaded Spain in the 1300s. When the Moors left Spain, many of their sheep remained in Spain. These sheep developed into the Merino breed, quite well known for its wool. The Merino wool earned the Spanish people the top place in the wool market of Europe. Although the Spanish government decreed it illegal to export the sheep, as they were one of the countries' top commodities, Spain did not have the necessary industrial force and the raw wool was often exported to France for processing. As Spain became more developed and built more mills, the French began to fear that soon they would be unable to import Merino wool in addition to the ban on the sheep. Luckily, King Louis XVI established a farm in Rambouillet with the sole purpose of providing examples of the finest plants and animals available. He requested a few Spanish Merinos, implying that it was one of the finest breeds in existence. Louis, King of Spain (and Louis XVI's cousin) was flattered enough to comply and sent a small flock of Merino sheep to Rambouillet. When the Spanish Empire fell in the late 18th century, the Merinos in Spain began to interbreed with other breeds. At this time, the French Revolution began to get underway and the Rambouillet Merinos were divided among devoted caretakers. Through this care, the Rambouillet sheep managed to remain more pure than the Spanish Merinos. The Rambouillet began to be imported into America in the mid 19th century. Some breeders tried to keep the breed pure, while others used the more purebred Rambouillets to improve their Merino stock. Breeders who wanted to keep the line pure formed the Rambouillet Association in 1889. Today, the Rambouillet Association has extended into the American Rambouillet Sheep Breeders Association and has members throughout the United States.

There is currently no special care information in our databases for this animal. To submit care information that is specific to this animal please click here.

The Rambouillet ewes very rarely have trouble lambing or milking.