Breed societies
Please note: Breed information has been sourced from British Sheep (ninth edition) where details have not been forwarded from Breed Secretaries.
Information is presented alphabetically: [ B ] [ C to J ] [ K to Z ]
Kerry Hill
A well balanced sturdy sheep with ears set high and free from wool. A black nose and sharply defined black and white markings on the head and legs. Adapts readily to all forms of sheep husbandry with good foraging ability.
Secretary: Mrs Pam Chilman, The Bramleys, Broadheath, Presteigne Powys LD8 2HR
Tel: 01544 267353
Email: kerryhillsheep@excite.co.uk
Lleyn
A medium sized lowland sheep, renowned for their hardiness, prolificacy, easy lambing, strong mothering instinct, milkieness and easy handling.
Secretary: Mrs G Roberts, Gwyndy, Bryncroes, Pwllheli, Gwynedd LL53 8ET
Tel: 01758 730366 Fax: 01758 730578
Web site: www.lleynsheep.com
Email: Gwenda@lleynsheepsociety.fsnet.co.uk
Meatlinc
A British terminal sire breed, developed from a breeding programme originated by Henry Fell in 1963. It is white faced, tight in the wool, with great length and heavy hindquarters. It is amongst the biggest of the British breeds, a mature ram weighing 140kg.
Tel: 01904 448675
Web site: www.meatlinc.co.uk
North Country Cheviot
The NCC is a big long rugged white sheep which combines thriftiness and healthiness with prolificacy and strong maternal qualities. The largest of all the IK Hill breeds, it is particularly suited to grassy hills and uplands.
Secretary: Mr Wm Morrison, 16 St Vincent Road, Tain, Ross-shire IV19 1JR
Tel/Fax: 01862 894014
Email: wm@nc-cheviot.co.uk
Oxford Down
The largest and heaviest of our Down breeds, with a capacity for fast growth and early maturity, it is an ideal crossing ram, producing light carcases in early lambing flocks. When kept for heavy lamb production the heavier carcases are produced without unwanted fat, being most suitable for today's market.
Secretary: Miss Alex Stokes, Newland House, Withypool, Minehead, Somerset TA24 7QX
Tel: 01643 831693
Email: secretary@oxforddownsheep.org.uk
Web site: www.oxforddownsheep.org.uk
South Country Cheviot
A white faced Hill sheep from the Scottish Borders. The ewe has fine hard white hair on her face, over the crown and on her legs which should have a fine flat quality bone. The fleece should be dense and firm with no kemp or coloured hair. The rams can have horns.
Secretary: Mrs I J McVittie, Holm Cottage, Langholm, Galloway. Tel: 01387 380222.
Email: info@cheviotsheep.org
Web site: www.cheviotsheep.org
Southdown
A very compact sheep with 'a leg at each corner', well fleshed down to its hooks. With a wide level back through to the tail. Pink skin- colour of face and legs is mouse to dark fawn. Superb conformation- passed to it's offspring, and the ability to thrive and maintain flesh where many other breeds would starve. Docile and easy to handle.
Secretary: Mrs Gail Sprake, Southdown Sheep Society, Meens Farm, Capps Lane, All Saints, Halesworth, Suffolk IP19 OPD
Tel: 01986 782251
Fax: 01986 782416
Email: secretary@southdownsheepsociety.co.uk
Web site: www.southdownsheepsociety.co.uk
Suffolk
The Suffolk is a polled breed with a distinctive all-black head and legs and a single colour close cropped white wool. Independent trails show that Suffolks have the fastest growth rates of the terminal sire breeds
Secretary: Catherine Fleck,Suffolk Sheep Soc.Ltd,Unit B,Ballymena Livestock Mart, 1 Woodside Place, Ballymena, Co.Antrim BT42 4HG
Tel: 02825 632342
Email: catherine@suffolksheep.org
Web site: www.suffolksheep.org
Teeswater Sheep Breeders Association
A large hornless breed, carrying a fine long stapled natural white lustre, kemp free fleece, has an off-white face with dark brown markings around the eyes and nose-end, but the fae may also be a greyish-blue.
Secretary: Margurita Braithwaite, Wodencroft, Cotherstone, Barnard Castle, Co Durham DL12 9UQ
Tel: 01833 650032
Email: wodencroft@freenet.co.uk
British Texel Sheep
ORIGINS
The Texel sheep originates from the island of Texel off the Dutch North-Sea coast. Crossed with Lincoln, Leicester and Wensleydales in the late 19th century the small native Texel breed developed into a large and prolific sheep which became popular for its well fleshed but lean carcass.
FIRST IMPORTATION
First importations came from France in the early seventies, followed by direct imports from Holland at the end of that decade.
DESCRIPTION OF TYPE
There are many different types of Texel across Europe and other continents, each developed to perform in their specific environment. The British Texel is a medium sized sheep with a long rectangular body, well proportioned with a level back and medium bone structure. The Texel’s outstanding qualities are its pronounced muscling and long loin coupled with the unique leanness inherited from the original Texel sheep.
KEY POINTS
The Texel is hardy, tough and docile. Ewes are frugal and proven to excel in grass-based rearing systems. Lambs are famously vigorous at birth with a great will to survive. The breed is moderately prolific with 1.7 lambs per ewe.
The Texel breed has a structured Performance Recording System; an on-line flock book is available which can be viewed from the Society website.
Further information on the breed is available at www.texel.co.uk
Texel Sheep Society
Chief Executive & Company Secretary: John Yates
National Agricultural Centre
Stoneleigh Park
Kenilworth
Warwickshire CV8 2LG
Tel: 024 7669 6629
Fax: 024 7669 6472
Email: office@texel.co.uk
The breed has survived for centuries in the harsh environment of it's natural habitat, where high rainfall and freezing winter tempretures make it impossible for anything other than the hardiest and fittest to survive. The Welsh lamb's pre-eminence for quality and taste was built upon lamb from the Welsh Mountain breed
Secretary Hill Flock: WGM Jones, c/o WAOS Ltd, Brynawel, PO Box 8, Aberystwyth SY23 1DR
Tel: 01970 624011
Secretary Pedigree Section: Dot Tyne, Ty'n y Myndydd Farm, Boduan, Pwllheli, Gwynedd LL53 8PZ
Tel: 01758 721898
Email: info@welsh-sheep.org
Web site: www.welsh-sheep.org
Wensleydale Longwool
The Wensleydale is a large longwool sheep, probably the heaviest of our indigenous breeds. It is a dual purpose sheep.
Crossing sire (the original sire of the Masham)
Quality wool producer/Improver. Providing the finest lustre wool in the world.
The breed has the highest genetic resistance to Scrapie of all recognised sheep breeds in the UK, with P&P tests revealing over 90% codon 171 R/R genotype in the breed.
Secretary: Dr L Clouder, Whichway Cottage, 6 Coventry Rd, Princethorpe, nr Rugby, Warwickshire CV23 9QF.
Tel: 01926 633439
Email: d.l.clouder@coventry.ac.uk
Web site: www.wensleydale-sheep.com
Wiltshire Horn
An old established lowland breed that is large and white faced. Both sexes are horned and wool-less.
Secretary: Christina Cormack, Little Bache House Farm, Hurleston, Nantwich, Cheshire CW5 6BU
Tel: 0844 800 1029
Email: post@wiltshirehorn.org.uk
Zwartbles
Originally Dutch milk sheep, Zwartbles are excellent lean meat animals, crossing well with native sheep, lightening the bone and preventing excess fat when crossed with heavier breeds. Easy lambers, with vigorous offspring, these docile and prolific animals are a joy to own. A large, dark, docile, milky and prolific sheep, the Zwartbles produces a lean medium boned carcase.
Secretary: Debbie Dann,3 Eastgate, Stoneleigh Park, Stoneleigh, Warks CV8 2LG
Tel: & Fax: 02476 696602
Email: secretary@zwartbles.org
Web site: www.zwartbles.org
