OUR SHEEP
At present we have six different sheep breeds on the farm, and a few crosses resulting from any combination of these six. One of our central interests is in fibre production and two of our main breeds, the Gotlands and Teeswaters, are breeds whose wool is unusual and wonderful for spinning and crafting.
Our other breeds are Dorset Downs, the traditional Dorset breed, on the UK Native Breeds at Risk List, the Poll Dorset and Dorset Horn (also rare). We also have some Easycares and a few Lleyns. The Easycares have been developed for straightforward lambing and resilience and they don't require shearing, which allows us to spend more time taking care with the wool breeds.
Gotlands
Our Gotlands are the most lively and characterful sheep. The breed originated from Sweden and they are considered a ' three crop sheep' , valued equally for thier wool, their sheepskins and their meat, see British Gotland Sheep Society
Gotland lambs
the Gotland lambs are born completely black but they soon start to take on more silvery hues. They are very lively and usually trouble-free lambs.
Teeswaters
Teeswaters are magnificent large-framed sheep with extraordinary lustrous fleece that grows to 20-30cm. Keeping it clean and in good condition is a job in itself! Teeswaters are from the north-east of England are also on the Native Breeds at Risk List.
Dorset Downs
the Dorset Downs are the traditional breed for our area. They are a relatively small sheep but valued for their fertility and because they are quick growing. They also have a very versatile fleece.
Lleyns
Our Lleyns are all 'old ladies' now, but in their heyday they were participants in a research project, which shows that sheep can identify people in photographs. Should they be required to pick Barack Obama or Fiona Bruce out of a crowded picture, apparently they would be able to do so!