Sheep breed
Bleu du Maine
Bleu du Maine
A French meat breed with a slate-blue head: 1.8–2.0 prolificacy, easy lambing and excellent lamb rearing.
Description1
It comes from crossing local sheep of the French departments of Maine-et-Loire, Mayenne and Sarthe with English meat breeds (Kent, Leicester, Wensleydale). Its breed society was founded in 1927 and its herdbook in 1938.
A good grazer that resists disease and also copes well with housing. It is a seasonal, early-maturing meat breed with good milk; lambs gain very well, prolificacy is 1.8–2.0, and it lambs easily and rears lambs excellently.
A large breed with a broad, flat head, a narrow face, high-set ears carried slightly upwards and large, prominent eyes. The head and legs are slate-blue and free of wool; the back is straight, the body long, wide and deep, with characteristically drawn-back thighs and fine bone.
History1
Origin
Develops from crossing local sheep of Maine-et-Loire, Mayenne and Sarthe with English meat breeds (Kent, Leicester, Wensleydale).
1927
The breed society is founded.
1938
The breed's herdbook is opened.
Breed standard and breed society
The official breed description, breeding goal and herdbook rules are published by the recognised breed society (MJKSZ).
- MJKSZ – Kékfejű húsjuh fajtaleíráshttps://mjksz.hu/tenyesztes/fajtak/kekfeju-husjuh
Photo gallery
All photos are freely licensed (Wikimedia Commons, Flickr); author, source and licence are shown under each image.
Sources
Accessed: 2026-10-18.