History And Origin

The breed is known in France as The Rouge de l'Ouest (usually shortened to Rouge) which translates as The Red of the West, describing both the colour and origin of the sheep.

The Rouge breed originates mainly from the Loire area in France. Renowned for its rich thick milk the Rouge was originally kept as a dairy sheep producing Camembert cheese. French breeders however concentrated on breeding their animals for superior conformation, whilst retaining prolificacy and milkiness and these attributes, rarely seen together in one animal were the primary reason for the breed's introduction to the British Isles.