Kempen Heath Sheep

Kempisch Heideschaap

The Kempen heath sheep is a medium sized sheep, on average 70 cm high. Adult rams weigh maximum 70 kg and ewes 60 kg. They are predominantly white, with a pigmented nose front and preferrably pigmented (black or brown) hoofs. Light brown marks on head and legs are frequent. Some animals have brownish “fox heads” or gray-brown heads. Heads are always covered with short, silky hair. They carry no horns, and are bare, up till behind the ears. Also bellies and legs are sometimes the throats are bare. The tail is long, till the heels at least, and always bare. The head shape is elegant: long and slim, with a somewhat curved nose bone and a flat front. Ears hang by the sides. Legs are long, and a long neck carries the head high.It is a very rustic and self-sufficient breed, which actually thrives best on poor heath vegetations. It can be kept outside year round. About 50% of the ewes have one lamb per year, the others have twins. Most lambs are born in February and March. The breed has a good reputation for the quality of its meat. In the 19th century, King William I tried to improve the wool quality of the Kempen Heath sheep, crossing it with Merino sheep from France. Therefore, the Kempen sheep still have fairly good wool quality compared to the other Dutch heath breeds (Veluwse and Drentse). In the extensive sandy soil ‘plateau’ of the Kempen area, at the border of The Netherlands and Belgium archeologists found sheep bones dating back to the Bronze Age, and bones from the early Middle Ages already resemble a lot those of the present breed. From that time on the number of unhorned sheep starts to dominate. Excellent pictures of the Kempen sheep can be found on paintings, etches and drawings from the 19the century. The Kempen Heath sheep has been a determining factor in the creation of the landscape and the biodiversity of the Kempen area. For centuries it was the most diffused farm animal. Since grazing became more and more intensive from the early Middle Ages onwards, the landscape became more and more open, and different rich ecosystems developed, varying with the humidity of the soil. At night the animal were usually kept inside. The manure was gathered and was indispensable arable farming on the poor Kempen soils. From the 14th century onwards heath sods were taken from the grazed areas and used to enrich the stable manure with organic matter (and causing a gradual elevation of the arable fields, up to one meter). The Kempen heath sheep have been a determining factor in the creation of the landscape and biodiversity of the Kempen area. For centuries it was the most diffused farm animal. As grazing became more and more intensive from the early Middle Ages onwards, the landscape became more and more open and diverse rich ecosystems developed, varying with the humidity of the soil. At night the sheep were usually kept inside. The manure was gathered and was indispensable to arable farming on the poor Kempen soils. Since the 14th century heath sods from the grazed areas were used to enrich the stable manure with organic matter and caused a gradual elevation (up to one meter) of the arable lands. The pattern of infields (close to the villages) and outfields (further away) has resulted in a richly diversified landscape with many rare plant species. After the invention of chemical fertilizer and barbed wire, but also due to the industrial revolution and consequent population growth, the extensive sheep breeding and its heath fields gave way to intensive ways of farming, making the sheep obsolete.At the beginning of the 20th century there were more than 40,000 sheep in the Kempen area, but by 1965 they were almost extinct. The heath area was reduced to 10% of its former size and became protected as a nature reserve. Only then did conservationists begin to realize that sheep grazing was the only way to save the biodiversity in the reserve. Thus the Stichting Het Kempische Heideschaap (foundation) was created in Heeze in 1967. The last remaining sheep were traced and used for a well-managed breeding program. In 2005 about 2,000 pedigreed Kempen Heath sheep were registered. They are all used for grazing of the protected heath lands. The number of these sheep in Belgium is a few hundred and they have a separate breed register. The presence of large numbers of sheep stimulated the growth of the wool and textile industry in some towns in the Kempen area, such as in Tilburg and Helmond, far into the 20th century. So, in this sense, the Kempen heath sheep is part of the heritage of the area. And, of course, the ample availability of lamb and mutton led to a specific culinary tradition, which has now been largely forgotten. In February 2006 the new Slow Food convivium De Kempen organized a successful tasting, and the great interest shown by the participants was the occasion to develop a supply chain for the meat.