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Dalesbred Sheep
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International Name |
Dalesbred Sheep |
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Local Name |
Dalesbred |
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Location |
Yorkshire Dales. Great Britain |
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Breeding females
(year) |
20.875 approx |
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Trend of population size |
Static |
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Flock book established |
1931 |
Origin – history
The breed has
originated from the Swaledale and the Scottish Blackface and the
animals can survive in the harsh environmental conditions and are
well adapted to climatic changes. The breed is also noted for its
extended productive life due to exceptional tooth retention.
Breed description
The breed is
white with round, low horns, and has a black face and a distinctive
white mark above each nostril, the end of the muzzle becoming grey.
The legs also have black and white markings. The wool coat is
plentiful, and curly on the outside, with a dense undercoat.
The Dalesbred
is found in the Yorkshire Dales and surrounding area. The breed is
used for the production of meat and wool. The ewes weigh 45 – 60
kg, the rams, 55 – 75 kg.
Ewes have a
fecundity rate of 1.20-1.40. On the hill most female lambs are kept
for pure-bred lambing for the first three or four crops, producing
good wethers for finishing at home or for sale as stores, and then
they are mainly sold down the hill as draft ewes for crossbreeding.
The half-bred breeding sheep are in turn sold for use in lowland
flocks.
Dalesbred ewes
are often crossed with Teeswater rams to produce the Masham, which
is one of the most famous of British cross-breds.
A large
proportion of the breed is hefted and due to its geographical
location the breed was endangered in the 2001 FMD outbreak.
The flock book was established in 1931 with the rams and ewes
registered with pedigree information.
Conservation activities
Insitu
The breed is
an important factor in the maintenance of the Dales landscape,
including helping with maintaining the flora and fauna specific to
the areas it grazes.
Exsitu
Cryopreservation of semen, NSP 1153 doses
Contact:
The breed society is the Dalesbred Sheep Breeders Association
Sec
Dalesbred Sheep Breeders Association Ltd
Secretary: J Whitaker, Gib Hey Cottage, Chipping, Preston,
Lancashire
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