Portland (sheep)

The Portland is a sheep breed that takes its name from the Isle of Portland and was once common all over Dorset, but is now one of Britain's rarest breeds. It is on the "at risk" register of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust since there are fewer than 1,500 registered breeding females in the United Kingdom. [http://www.rbst.org.uk/watch-list/main.php Rare Breeds Survival Trust watch list] accessed 21st May 2008]

It has various advantages for the hobby farmer: it is a natural forager; it is unusual amongst sheep as breeding can take place at any time of year and multiple births are a rarity; as a result, the ewe is considered especially maternal with lambing being relatively non-interventional; it is a small sheep and thus easy to handle.

Description: The Portland is a small sheep, with a cream fleece and golden tan face and legs.

Both sexes are horned: in the adult male the horns are heavy and form double spirals; in the female the horns are lighter and shorter, being a single crescent shape. The horns are cream coloured often having one or more thin black lines running along the horn lengthways.

The face is generally free of wool, but some sheep have a 'top-knot'. A distinctive feature is that they tend to have paler patches around the eyes, referred to as 'spectacles'. Both sexes have a broad muzzle, which is usually as pale as the 'spectacles'. Ewes tend to have a dished face, rather than a 'roman' nose. The nose is usually black.

In adult sheep the front legs and the rear legs below the hocks are free of wool. The feet are mainly black. Newborn lambs' fleeces are a foxy red colour that fades to a creamy white after a few months. They produce 2–3 kg. of 50's–60's down-quality wool with a staple length of 6–9 cm (2.5–3.5 in), which is suitable for hosiery and hand-knitting yarns. The highly prized meat has a more complex flavour than most commercial breeds, which is enhanced if the animal is left until the hoggett stage before slaughter.

External links

* [http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/sheep/portland/ Breeds of Livestock — Portland Sheep]
* [http://www.portlandsheepbreeders.org.uk/ Portland Sheep Breeders Group]

References