Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Brecknock Hill Cheviot
Also known as the American Miniature Cheviot sheep, the Brednock Hill
Cheviot is a small sheep that more closely represents the traditional size of
Border Cheviots, which have been bred for larger size over the last couple of
centuries in North America. Some sources say that the breed is the same as
the Brecknock Hill Cheviots in Wales, which were developed by breeding tra-
ditionally smaller Border Cheviots with native landraces (or very old strains
of sheep), while other sources say the North American fl ock is derived from a
handful of shepherds who used selective breeding to develop a smaller animal
from the Border Cheviots within North America.
Whichever way they came to be, the breed is cute and quite small. At full
size they stand less than 23 inches (58.4 cm) at the withers, and some are as
small as 17 inches (43.2 cm). Mature ewes weigh between 45 and 85 pounds
(20.4 and 38.6 kg); rams between 55 and 100 (25 and 45.4 kg). They are hardy
and quite docile, and ewes are good mothers, so they are being raised and
often marketed as pet sheep. But they also have a fl eece that handspinners
love, with medium-fi ne fi ber with a staple length up to 7 inches (17.8 cm).
The fi ber is considered to be fairly similar to the wool of sheep during the
Middle Ages, so it is also fi nding use in historical re-creations of garments
and textiles, such as for costumes at living-history museums.
British Milk Sheep
The British Milk Sheep is a fairly new breed, developed in the 1970s in the
United Kingdom. It is a very recent addition to the North American scene,
with the fi rst imports (via embryos) to Canada in 1999. In spite of their rather
recent history, their exact makeup is a bit of a mystery. Most sources believe
that Friesian sheep were the dominant breed used in their development, but
Bluefaced Leicester, Polled Dorset, Lleyn (a Welsh breed not found in North
America), and possibly other composite animals were used to develop the
British Milk.
The breed is prolifi c, with lambing rates regularly exceeding 220 percent,
and the ewes have few lambing problems. Their milk is abundant and high in
milk solids, protein, and butterfat. They have a heavy, lustrous fl eece.
