Ferme du Saladou

Merino breeding in the Pyrenees remains anecdotal, as they are adapted to poor, dry areas and originate from Arles, France and New Zealand.

Being on a fairly dry, south-facing massif, these hardy, calm ewes have acclimatized well to the dry grasslands of the Massif de Tabe.
They produce quality meat and fine, soft wool.

Herd management:
In spring, they graze from mid-April to the end of June around the farm, at altitudes of between 1000 and 1200 m.
From early July to late September, the herd climbs up to the high pastures on the Tabes massif, above the Appy pond at 1500 m altitude. When the grass permits, they can go up to the Pic St Barthélémy, at 2100 m altitude.
At the end of September, the ewes return to the pastures around the farm until they enter the sheepfold in mid-January to prepare for lambing - sorting out the mothers who are going to lamb, selling the lambs born in the spring and putting the rams on the empty ewes.

Lambing:
A small proportion of ewes (10-15%) lamb in autumn, and the lambs are raised in the sheepfold under their mothers.
Easter sale: their meat is tender and slightly marbled.

The bulk of lambing takes place in February, with around 130 lambs.
In spring, the lambs are taken out with their mothers to go up to the summer pastures. We sell them in the autumn. These lambs are known as "broutards", and eat mainly grass, which gives them a delicious taste.
Their meat is tasty, tender and rosy.

Wool:
Merino wool is known for its softness and fineness.
The wool's color is natural and unbleached.
This wool is processed at the Niaux spinning mill in Ariège.

Various types of knitting yarn are offered: skeins of pure Merino virgin wool in 3 or 2 threads, or cone yarn for weaving.
And of course, naturally tanned lambskins.