Boreray sheep

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Boreray
Boreray Ram.jpg
A Boreray ram.
Conservation status
Country of origin Scotland
Distribution Scotland
UseConservation grazing, meat, wool
Traits
Weight
  • Male:
    45kg
  • Female:
    30kg
Height
  • Male:
    55cm
  • Female:
    55cm
Horn statusHorned
Tweed, an end product manufactured from the Boreray's wool. Harris tweed.jpg
Tweed, an end product manufactured from the Boreray's wool.

The Boreray, also known as the Boreray Blackface or Hebridean Blackface, [3] is a breed of sheep originating on the St Kilda archipelago off the west coast of Scotland and surviving as a feral animal on one of the islands, Boreray. The breed was once reared for meat and wool, but is now used mainly for conservation grazing. The Boreray is one of the Northern European short-tailed sheep group of breeds.

Contents

It is one of the rarest breeds of sheep in the United Kingdom. The breed is classed as "Category 3: Vulnerable" by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, because 500–900 breeding ewes are known to exist. It had previously been the only breed classed in "Category 2: Critical" but by 2017 the population had grown.

St Kilda sheep

St Kilda is a remote archipelago, west of the Outer Hebrides. Several types of sheep have been associated with St Kilda. In addition to the Boreray, these include the Soay sheep, a feral type from Soay (one of the other islands in the St Kilda archipelago), and the Hebridean sheep, which was formerly called the "St Kilda sheep", although the sheep it was derived from were probably not in fact from St Kilda itself. [4] [5]

History

Until the late eighteenth century, the domesticated sheep throughout the Scottish Highlands and Islands belonged to a type called the Scottish Dunface or Old Scottish Shortwool, which was probably similar to the sheep kept in the whole of northern and western Europe up to the Iron Age. A local variety of Dunface was kept on the two main St Kilda islands of Boreray and Hirta by the crofters of the islands, who lived on Hirta, the largest island of the archipelago. [6] Modern breeds descended from the Dunface include the Boreray and also the North Ronaldsay and the Shetland. [7]

In the mid-eighteenth century the crofters' sheep were described as being "of the smallest kind", with short, coarse wool, and all having horns  – usually one pair, but often two pairs. At that time there were about a thousand of these sheep on Hirta and about four hundred on Boreray. [8]

In the late nineteenth century the crofters' sheep were cross-bred with Scottish Blackface sheep, [9] which by then had replaced the Dunface throughout mainland Scotland. [10]

Before the evacuation of the St Kildian inhabitants, these sheep were farmed. [11] However, when the St Kilda archipelago's human inhabitants were evacuated in 1930, the sheep of Hirta were also removed and in 1932 they were replaced by Soays, which still live there as well as on Soay itself. Meanwhile, the remaining sheep on Boreray were left to become feral; [9] these became the only survivors of the crofters' sheep, and one of the few surviving descendants of the Dunface. This means that they are the original, unmodified sheep that used to be farmed on the island. [12] In the 1970s half a dozen of them were exported to form the basis of a breeding population on the mainland, but the majority of Borerays still remain on the island. [13]

Characteristics

Two Boreray ewes, one with the less typical darker colouring Boreray Ewes.jpg
Two Boreray ewes, one with the less typical darker colouring

Despite being partially derived from a long-tailed breed (the Scottish Blackface), Borerays display characteristics which group them with other northern European short-tailed sheep. They are amongst the smallest sheep, with mature ewes weighing 28 kg (62 lb) and standing 55 cm (22 in) at the withers. [12]

They have naturally short tails, which do not require docking. They also moult their fleece naturally, rather than having to be shorn annually, though older individuals do not moult as easily and may require additional shearing. [6] Fleeces are grey or creamy white on the body, though darker individuals occur whose colouring is similar to the Soay sheep. Rough in quality, the wool is mostly used in the creation of tweeds or carpet yarns. A tweed is a rough-surfaced coarse cloth, typically made in Scotland. Its colour is a mix of flecked colours. [14] The face and legs are wool-free and black and white, with the proportions varying between individuals. [15]

Both sexes of the Boreray display horns, formerly sometimes more than one pair, but in the modern breed always only one pair. The horns on the ewes tend to be thinner than those on the males and while they curve they do not spiral beyond 360 degrees. Mature rams can grow especially large, spiral horns which may be used for crafts such as making shepherd's crooks. [3] [13] The horns on the rams have been described as "striking and majestic" by one farmer of the breed. [16]

Population

In 1999 the population was estimated to be at less than 84, with 74 ewes. In 2002, there were between 92 and 100 animals, with 92 ewes and the male population estimated to be less than 7. In 2012, 204 ewes were registered in herdbooks. Since 2012, sheep numbers have been increasing year on year; [17] and in 2017 the Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) moved the classification of the sheep from 'Category 2: Critical' to 'Category 3: Vulnerable' as the number of breeding ewes was estimated to exceed 500. [18] This data was collected from the herdbooks produced by breed societies, listing all registered sheep, and multiplying the number of registered sheep to account for non-registered sheep. [19]

However, in 2017 the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) estimated that there are 426 breeding ewes. [17]

Use in farming

The breed was primarily reared for meat and wool, but due to its rarity it is now reared for conservation purposes, if reared at all, as most of the population is thought to be feral. [20] [21]

Due to the native conditions of where it developed, the Boreray is very well suited to conservation grazing, which is grazing that uses livestock to improve biodiversity and achieve nature conservation in a given area. [22] However, the Rare Breeds Survival Trust believe that this could be further capitalised on if the breed is developed further. [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Kilda, Scotland</span> Archipelago in Outer Hebrides, Scotland, United Kingdom

St Kilda is a remote archipelago situated 64 kilometres (40 mi) west-northwest of North Uist in the North Atlantic Ocean. It contains the westernmost islands of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The largest island is Hirta, whose sea cliffs are the highest in the United Kingdom; three other islands were also used for grazing and seabird hunting. The islands are administratively a part of the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar local authority area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hirta</span> Main island of the St Kilda archipelago, Scotland, UK

Hirta is the largest island in the St Kilda archipelago, on the western edge of Scotland. The names Hiort and Hirta have also been applied to the entire archipelago. Now without a permanent resident population, the island had nearly all of St Kilda's population of about 180 residents in the late 17th century and 112 in 1851. It was abandoned in 1930 when the last 36 remaining inhabitants were evacuated to Lochaline on the mainland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Ronaldsay sheep</span> Breed of sheep from Scotland

The North Ronaldsay or Orkney is a breed of sheep from North Ronaldsay, the northernmost island of Orkney, off the north coast of Scotland. It belongs to the Northern European short-tailed sheep group of breeds, and has evolved without much cross-breeding with modern breeds. It is a smaller sheep than most, with the rams (males) horned and ewes (females) mostly hornless. It was formerly kept primarily for wool, but now the two largest flocks are feral, one on North Ronaldsay and another on the Orkney island of Auskerry. The Rare Breeds Survival Trust lists the breed as a priority on its 2021–2022 watchlist, and they are in danger of extinction, with fewer than 600 registered breeding females in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scottish Blackface</span> British breed of sheep

The Blackface or Scottish Blackface is a British breed of sheep. It is the most common sheep breed of the United Kingdom. Despite the name, it did not originate in Scotland, but south of the border.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manx Loaghtan</span> Breed of sheep

The Manx Loaghtan is a rare breed of sheep native to the Isle of Man. It is sometimes spelled as Loaghtyn or Loghtan. The sheep have dark brown wool and usually four or occasionally six horns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soay sheep</span> Scottish breed of sheep

The Soay sheep is a breed of domestic sheep descended from a population of feral sheep on the 100-hectare (250-acre) island of Soay in the St Kilda Archipelago, about 65 kilometres (40 mi) from the Western Isles of Scotland. It is one of the Northern European short-tailed sheep breeds.

Soay is an uninhabited islet in the St Kilda archipelago, Scotland. The name is from Old Norse Sauðey, meaning "island of sheep". The island is part of the St Kilda World Heritage Site and home to a primitive breed of sheep. Excluding Rockall, it is the westernmost point of the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hebridean sheep</span> Scottish breed of sheep

The Hebridean is a breed of small black sheep from Scotland, similar to other members of the Northern European short-tailed sheep group, having a short, triangular tail. They often have two pairs of horns. They were often formerly known as "St Kilda" sheep, although unlike Soay and Boreray sheep they are probably not in fact from the St Kilda archipelago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shetland sheep</span> Breed of sheep

The Shetland is a small, wool-producing breed of sheep originating in the Shetland Isles, Scotland, but is now also kept in many other parts of the world. It is part of the Northern European short-tailed sheep group, and it is closely related to the extinct Scottish Dunface. Shetlands are classified as a landrace or "unimproved" breed. This breed is kept for its very fine wool, for meat, and for conservation grazing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norfolk Horn</span> Breed of sheep

The Norfolk Horn is one of the British black-faced sheep breeds. It differs from other black-faced breeds, which are mainly found in high-rainfall, upland areas, and from most other modern, lowland British sheep breeds in being lightly built and very hardy. This breed is raised primarily for meat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shetland animal breeds</span> Animal breeds of the Shetland Islands of Scotland

The Shetland Islands of Scotland have long had their own distinct animal breeds, due to the remoteness of the archipelago. Below is a list of Shetland's domesticated animals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Kilda field mouse</span> Subspecies of rodent

The St Kilda field mouse is a subspecies of the wood mouse that is endemic to the Scottish archipelago of St Kilda, the island 40 miles (64 km) west of Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides, and 100 miles (160 km) from mainland Scotland. Unique to the islands, the mouse is believed to have arrived on the boats of Viking settlers more than a millennium ago. It is not to be confused with the St Kilda house mouse, a subspecies of the house mouse which is now extinct.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Castlemilk Moorit</span> Breed of sheep

The Castlemilk Moorit is a rare breed of domestic sheep originating in Dumfriesshire in Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flora and fauna of the Outer Hebrides</span> Plants and wildlife of Scottish island chain

The flora and fauna of the Outer Hebrides in northwest Scotland comprises a unique and diverse ecosystem. A long archipelago, set on the eastern shores of the Atlantic Ocean, it attracts a wide variety of seabirds, and thanks to the Gulf Stream a climate more mild than might be expected at this latitude. Because it is on the Gulf Stream, it also occasionally gets exotic visitors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern European short-tailed sheep</span> Type of sheep

The Northern European short-tailed sheep are a group of traditional sheep breeds or types found in Northern Europe, mainly in the British Isles, Scandinavia, Iceland, Greenland, and the area around the Baltic. They are thought to be derived from the first sheep brought to Europe by early farmers, and for thousands of years they were the only type of sheep kept in Northern Europe. They are hardy sheep, adapted to harsh environments, but they are small and have been replaced in most areas with later types of larger, long-tailed sheep.

Boreray is an uninhabited island in the St Kilda archipelago in the North Atlantic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scottish Dunface</span> Extinct breed of sheep

The Scottish Dunface, Old Scottish Short-wool, Scottish Whiteface or Scottish Tanface was a type of sheep from Scotland. It was one of the Northern European short-tailed sheep group, and it was probably similar to the sheep kept throughout the British Isles in the Iron Age. By the mid-nineteenth century it had mostly been displaced by the Scottish Blackface and it became extinct on the mainland of Scotland in the late nineteenth century. However, several local types of Dunface survived on islands around Scotland, giving rise to or contributing to existing breeds including the Shetland, North Ronaldsay, Hebridean and Boreray.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lítla Dímun sheep</span> Extinct sheep

The Lítla Dímun sheep (Dímunarseyðurin) was a type of short-tailed sheep endemic to Lítla Dímun in the Faroe Islands. It became extinct in the mid-19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norman Heathcote</span> British writer, artist and photographer (1863 – 1946)

John Norman Heathcote was a British author, watercolourist and photographer, who wrote the book St Kilda, published in 1900, about the Scottish Hebridean archipelago of St Kilda.

References

  1. ↑ Barbara Rischkowsky, D. Pilling (eds.) (2007). pg 120. List of breeds documented in the Global Databank for Animal Genetic Resources, annex to The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. ISBN   9789251057629. Accessed August 2017.
  2. ↑ Watchlist 2017–18. Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire: Rare Breeds Survival Trust. Accessed May 2017.
  3. 1 2 "Boreray". Breeds of Livestock. Oklahoma State University Dept. of Animal Science. Archived from the original on 22 November 2015. Retrieved 10 July 2008.
  4. ↑ "Hebridean Sheep History". The Hebridean Sheep Society. 2011. Archived from the original on 20 November 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  5. ↑ "Boreray sheep". Soay Sheep Society. Archived from the original on 18 January 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  6. 1 2 "Essex Rare Breeds — Boreray Sheep". Millfields Rare Breeds. Archived from the original on 22 November 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  7. ↑ Trow-Smith, Robert (3 November 2005). A History of British Livestock Husbandry, 1700-1900. Taylor & Francis. ISBN   978-0-415-38112-3.
  8. ↑ Macaulay, Kenneth (1764). The History of St Kilda. T Becket and P A De Hondt. p.  129.
  9. 1 2 "Land Mammals". National Trust for Scotland. 2003. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  10. ↑ "Scottish Dunface history". Hebridean Sheep Society. 2 March 2011. Archived from the original on 22 November 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  11. ↑ Long, John L. (2003). Introduced Mammals of the World: Their History, Distribution and Influence. Csiro Publishing. p. 527. ISBN   9780643099166.
  12. 1 2 "Sheep Breeds". Smallholder Series. Archived from the original on 6 April 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  13. 1 2 3 "RBST Breed profile". Rare Breeds Survival Trust. Archived from the original on 22 November 2015. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
  14. ↑ "Tweed". Oxford English Dictionary. Archived from the original on 22 November 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  15. ↑ "Wool of the Boreray Sheep". British Coloured Sheep Breeders Association. Archived from the original on 20 November 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  16. ↑ "Boreray Sheep Description". Gaerllwyd Farms. 2009. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  17. 1 2 "Breed Information — UK Government". DEFRA. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  18. ↑ "Publications: Watchlists". Rare Breeds Survival Trust. 2016–2017. Archived from the original on 3 February 2017. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  19. ↑ "RBST: about the watchlist". Archived from the original on 22 August 2017. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  20. ↑ "Boreray - Sheep breed". Britannic Rare Breeds. Archived from the original on 20 November 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  21. ↑ "Boreray/United Kingdom". Breed Data Sheet. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System. Retrieved 28 September 2009.
  22. ↑ "What is Conservation Grazing?". Open Space Trust. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
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