Taurini Sheep

The taurini sheep is a breed developed by the Centari, most likely from crossbreeding feral and wild sheep in Europe. Although the breed displays a wide range of regional variants as well as has been selectively bred for different colors and coat types, they remain distinct from other domestic sheep species.   Taurini sheep are fairly large and robust, with larger muscle mass than other domestic species. Their thick neck muscles allows for males, rams, to engage in combat with one another for females by way of ramming one another with their horns until one surrenders. Taurini sheep also have a seasonal coat of fleece that naturally sheds in the late spring and early summer, quickly growing back for winter each year. Although shearing is not necessary, most ranchers do choose to shear their sheep before shedding season, in order to collect the best quality fleeces.   Fleeces typically have a white, cream, or light brown top coat, with a dark brown or black undercoat, necessitating their wool to be bleached in order to be dyed for fabric production. All taurini sheep, aside from specialty breed lines, also typically have two large spots on their rump, usually in black or brown, and white patches on their face below the eyes. It is thought this coloration is an adaptation against being preyed upon by dragons.

Wild populations of taurini sheep are almost unheard of, with most being escapees from rancher's flocks. Loose individuals are oftentimes found mingling with other sheep flocks, and returned to their former owners.   Typically, taurini sheep are given room to free roam in their environments and trained when young to return to their herder's property at nightfall. Their large body size, defensive nature, and thick coats allow them to persist in much more rugged and cool environments than many other sheep breeds with ease, making them a popular choice for northern regions.

Like all other sheep, the breed is a grazer, primarily feeding on grasses, shrubs, and low lying plants. Small bushes, thorns, vines, and pest species or weeds are also commonly fed as a way of disposal, with some ranchers renting out their flocks to control problem plants such as kudzu, poison ivy, and grapevine.

As the breed has been selectively bred to be less reliant on people for their care, this also extends to their behavior. Unlike other sheep breeds, taurini sheep are quick to become defensive against predators, with rams being well known to guard their ewes against cougars, wolves, eagles, and coyotes. Some rams have even been documented attacking against bear, Short-Tailed Cats and Needlecoat Wolf attacks.   Rams can also be aggressive to unrelated rams, and known to fight one another until serious injury. To combat this, rams are almost always kept in groups of brothers, who are not as competitive to one another, and only one ram per 20-30 ewes. Introducing new rams into a flock is said to always have to be done at a young age with similarly aged rams, to prevent an older ram from killing the younger. Neutered rams are much less competitive than intact ones.

As in with other sheep, taurinis are kept in large flocks to prevent anxiety, as they do best in large groups. This also aids in prevention of predator attacks. Typically, flocks are led by 2-3 related rams, who will mate with the ewes and produce lambs in the spring. Due to rams being defensive against potential predators, they are oftentimes not cohabitated with livestock guardian dogs, with donkeys being far more favored and less likely to be attacked as a potential predator.

The breed is almost exclusively kept for its milk and wool production. Taurini wool is widely renowned for being a tough, dense fiber excellent for heavy weaves such as rugs, heavy duty fabric, and thick winter clothing that is excellent at retaining heat. Due to being fairly coarse, the wool is not oftentimes used for clothing that will be touching the skin, instead being used for outerwear, bags, semi-waterproof linings, or for its strength underneath a different fabric.   Excess rams and lambs are generally culled from flocks at the latest at 10 months of age. These lambs are not typically used for their meat by centaur themselves, and rather, are sold to butchers and meat markets. Widely considered to be a more gamey meat than other domestic sheep, taurini meat is oftentimes favored by werewolves, fairies, and dragons. Retired sheep that are too old to breed or produce wool are similarly oftentimes slaughtered, though their meat is far less valuable than that of lambs, and will most often be cooked into more spiced dishes.   Taurini milk is commonly used for cheeses, with a slightly bitter, tangy taste excellent for soft cheese. Taurini cheese is utilized in a wide array of centauri dishes, from yogurts and spreads to quiches and baked pasta dishes. As a snack, it is often served with honey, toasted oats, or fruit preserves and jams.