About the Rideau Arcott Breed
The Rideau Arcott was originally a research breed created by Agriculture Canada's Animal Research Center, with original research starting in 1959. The goal was to create a breed that produced offspring rapidly with strong maternal characteristics. The breed was distributed to shepherds starting in 1988.
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The Rideau is a blend of many breeds including
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40% Finnish Landrace
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20% Suffolk
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14% East Friesian
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9% Shropshire
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8% Dorest Horn
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9% remaining consits of North Country Cheviot, Romnelet, Border Leicester and Corriedale.
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Ewes can be bred when they are 7 to 8 months old to lamb by the time they are 1.
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Rideaus have a high fertility rate and strong maternal instincts, making them a strong choice for crossbreeding. They have been known to quickly increase lambing rates.
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Rideaus are a prolific breed. First time ewes can average 170% lambing rate while subsequent births can average 250%
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They are excellent producers in accelerated lambing cycles (lambing every 8 months).
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Rideau lambs grow rapidly with high feed efficiency.
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Due to the large number of births, the Rideau does require additional attention to nutrition and lambing time management.