Know-Your-Sheep-flipbook

SKYHNOEOUEWRP
JACK BYARD

SKYHNOEOUEWRP
JACK BYARD

Contents

Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 15 Greyface Dartmoor . . . . . . 36 33 Romney . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
16 Hampshire Down . . . . . . . 38 34 Rouge de l’Ouest . . . . . . . 74
1 Beulah Speckled Face . . . . . 8 17 Herdwick . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 35 Ryeland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
2 Black Welsh Mountain . . . 10 18 Hill Radnor . . . . . . . . . . . 42 36 Shetland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
3 Blackface . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 19 Hog Island . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 37 Shropshire . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
4 Bluefaced Leicester . . . . . . 14 20 Jacob . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 38 Southdown . . . . . . . . . . . 82
5 Border Leicester . . . . . . . . 16 21 Katahdin . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 39 Suffolk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
6 Clun Forest . . . . . . . . . . . 18 22 Kerry Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 40 Swaledale . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
7 Dalesbred . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 23 Leicester Longwool . . . . . 52 41 Teeswater . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
8 Derbyshire Gritstone . . . . 22 24 Lincoln Longwool . . . . . . 54 42 Welsh Mountain Badger
9 Devon and Cornwall 25 Llanwenog . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
26 Lleyn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Face Torddu . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Longwool . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 27 Lonk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 43 Welsh Mountain Badger
10 Devon Closewool . . . . . . . 26 28 Manx Loaghtan . . . . . . . . 62
11 Dorset Down . . . . . . . . . . 28 29 Montadale . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Face Torwen . . . . . . . . . . 92
12 Dorset Horn and Polled 30 Navajo-Churro . . . . . . . . . 66 44 Wensleydale . . . . . . . . . . . 94
31 North Country Cheviot . . 68
Dorset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 32 Oxford Down . . . . . . . . . 70 Acknowledgements . . . . . 96
13 Est à Laine Merino . . . . . . 32 Picture Credits . . . . . . . . 96
14 Exmoor Horn . . . . . . . . . 34

2 Black Welsh Mountain

Characteristics This is an ancient breed that was recorded in the Middle Ages when it was prized
for its quality meat as well as its wool. It is the only black sheep breed in the UK,
The rams have the tips of the fleece bleaching to a reddish brown in the sun.Around two hundred
impressive horns that years ago in the mountain flock an occasional black lamb was born; from that time
curve around the ears, some shepherds decided to breed only black sheep, improving the fleece and the
and the ewes are polled. meat quality at the same time.The Black Welsh Mountain was recognized as a
breed in 1922, and was exported to the USA in 1972.
Weight: ram
143 lb (65 kg), This hardy, disease-resistant breed is quite able to take care of itself in its harsh
ewe 100 lb (45 kg). living environment.The wool can be used in its natural colour or mixed with other
Fleece weight: fibres. It is used undyed for fine tweed; the wool produces a durable, light and warm
2½–5½ lb (1–2.5 kg). cloth.The meat is also of excellent quality with a distinct flavour.

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11 Dorset Down

Characteristics In the early 1800s Homer Saunders of Watercombe and Mr Humphrey of
Chaddleworth created a much-improved local Down breed by crossing local
The rams and ewes Wiltshire, Hampshire and Berkshire ewes with a Southdown ram – and the breed
are without horns. thrived.The fleece is white; the face, ears and legs are brown.The breed society was
Weight: ram formed in 1904.This powerful, stocky breed can now be seen mainly in southern
242 lb (110 kg), England, the West Midlands and Wales; flocks can also be found in Europe, New
ewe 154 lb (70 kg). Zealand,Australia, the USA and South America.Although it is not found in large
Fleece weight: numbers it is an adaptable and easily handled breed, capable of producing fast-
5 lb (2.25 kg). growing lambs on grass alone.

The white fleece is short and fine, and the wool of the Dorset Down is classed
by the British Wool Marketing Board as one of the best in the country.This quality
wool is blended with other wools to improve quality. It is also used for flannel and
dress material and speciality knitting yarns, but especially for futons in Japan.The
Dorset Down produces delicately flavoured meat.

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17 Herdwick
Characteristics The Herdwick is an ancient breed found mainly in the Lake District in the British
Isles and is uniquely adapted to its wild environment in the high unfenced fells of
The rams have creamy Cumbria which exceed 3,000 feet (305 metres).The Herdwick lives its entire life
white curved horns; the in the mountains with little supplementary feeding.The lambs are born black and
ewes are without horns. change colour over two years, learning from their mothers where to graze and
shelter on their “heft” on the fells.This strong homing instinct means the sheep
Weight: ram 145–165 stay in family groups, helping the shepherds manage their flocks.Their grazing has
(66–75 kg), ewe helped to shape the landscape of the beautiful Lake District, now recognized as a
UNESCO World Heritage Site.The breed points were laid down in the mid- to
77–99 lb (35–45 kg). late nineteenth century.
Fleece weight:
The famous children’s author Beatrix Potter kept Herdwick sheep and bought
3–4½ lb (1.5–2 kg). Herdwick farms which she gifted to the National Trust on her death in 1943 to
conserve the unique farming practices of the Lake District.The coarse wool from
the grey-blue fleece is used for carpets, speciality fabrics and knitting wools.The
Herdwick also produces top-quality meat.

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19 Hog Island

Characteristics The Hog Island is a feral breed from Hog Island,Virginia, which was colonized in
the seventeenth century.The breed would have originated from British breeds –
About half the rams possibly the Improved Leicester crossbred, now called the Leicester Longwool – and
and ewes have horns. the Merino which grazed the barrier islands, with a mixture of Spanish breeds that
escaped from ships wrecked locally.They were bred mainly for wool and food.A
Weight: ram 125 lb hurricane destroyed the island in 1933; it was abandoned by the inhabitants, and the
(57 kg), ewe 90 lb (41 kg). sheep were left to fend for themselves. In 1974 the island was bought by the Nature
Conservancy, the sheep were removed and settled in various locations including
Fleece weight: George Washington’s birthplace, MountVernon, and Colonial Williamsburg, a living
2–8 lb (1–3.5 kg). history museum inVirginia.

The fleeces are mainly white and about 10 percent are black; the lambs are born
spotted or speckled.The wool is in demand for hand-knitting, and the meat is good.

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31 North Country
Cheviot
Characteristics
This is a strong-willed, independent, hardy breed, with a long white fleece and a
The rams can have horns Roman nose with black nostrils.They have the ability to adapt and survive in most
and the ewes are polled. weather conditions. During the Highland Clearances in Scotland the crofters were
Weight: ram 300 lb removed, sometimes forcibly, to make way for this breed.The story begins in 1791
(136 kg), ewe when Sir John Sinclair bought five hundred ewes from farmers in the Cheviot Hills
180 lb (82 kg). on the English–Scottish border; it is believed he crossed them with Border Leicester
Fleece weight: 8–10 lb and the Leicester Longwool (known then as the English Leicester).The benefits of
(3.5–4.5 kg). this cross ensured the sheep matured earlier and were larger, with longer wool.

They are excellent mothers and the lambs will be feeding and running within
minutes of being born.A shepherd once remarked that the North Country Cheviot
is the only breed he had seen that would chase a dog out of the pasture and were
the best-kept secret in the sheep industry.The wool is used in Scottish tweed and is
favoured by hand-spinners.

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40 Swaledale
Characteristics
The Swaledale is named after the valley of the River Swale inYorkshire, and the
The rams and the ewes sheep is the official symbol of theYorkshire Dales.The breed was first registered in
have curled horns, 1919 and there is very little earlier recorded history, but generations of farmers in
NorthYorkshire and Westmorland had specialized in breeding similar sheep. Found
but the ram’s horns mainly on the Pennines in the northern counties of England, they are related to the
are much larger. Scottish Blackface and the Rough Fell.

Weight: ram 121–137lb The Swaledale sheep are very hardy and have a thick, creamy white fleece,
(55–62 kg), ewe 106– just one of the reasons they are able to survive on the high and frequently wet
121 lb (48–55 kg). moorlands.The fleece becomes greyer with age.The fine quality wool is used for
tweed, rug wool and the thicker hand-knitting yarns.The coarser wool is used for
Fleece weight: 3½–6 lb carpet manufacture.The Swaledale also produces top-quality meat.
(1.5–2.5 kg).

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Here is everything you need to know about the forty-four sheep breeds that you’re most likely to
encounter when wandering in the countryside, including physical characteristics, history, habitat and
quality of product.The origins of some can be traced back many hundreds of years; others have resulted from
cross-breeding to improve the breed standard. Many have travelled the globe from their origins on the hills and
mountains of Britain and can now be found in the USA, Canada,Australia and beyond.

$7.99 US | $9.99 CAN

ISBN: 978-1-912158-50-8

EAN 50799

9 781912 158508