The British Milksheep is a robust, dual-purpose sheep commonly known for its milking characteristics.
The British Milksheep originally was known as the Alderbred and is a breed of domesticated sheep developed by Lawrence Alderson and his wife Mary in Wiltshire and Northumberland. It was exported to several countries including Hungary, France and Greece, and from there other neighbouring countries. It now can be found mainly in the UK, Hungary and Canada, although the population in Britain was decimated during the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in 2001. The exact composition of the breed has never been declared but it was based on high-performance animals in existing flocks of Dorset Horn, Bluefaced Leicester and Eastrip Prolific sheep kept by the Alderson family. Additional individual animals were selected from Lleyn, Texel and East Friesian breeds. Subsequent selection was based on measures of productivity, without regard for uniformity of appearance. A standardised breed type emerged gradually as the blending process continued. The animals were exposed to rugged conditions in the upper Pennines in northern England to develop robustness and adaptability. Progeny testing from the initial stages laid the foundation for continuous genetic improvement. Initially, total ownership of females of the breed was retained by the family and only rams were sold, but groups of females were released to other breeders in 1981. Numbers of flocks and animals increased rapidly and there were more than 5,000 breeding ewes by the mid-1980s with flocks widespread in Britain. A flock book was published in 1986. As the name of the breed suggests, it is a prolific milk producer, and several large dairy flocks were established. [1] However, it is a robust, dual-purpose sheep rather than a specialist dairy breed. It is known for its extremely high prolificacy, and rams are used to sire high-performance crossbred daughters. The quality of its carcase and wool are extra beneficial traits. [2] In all countries outside Britain, the British Milksheep is used more as a dairying breed with dual-purpose qualities, but it is used also in most countries as a crossing sire; in Britain on hill and longwool breeds, in France in the Alps and Pyrenees on mountain breeds, in Greece on Chios dairy ewes, and in Hungary on the predominant Merino population. In France it has contributed to the development of the Boulonnais breed.
The British Milksheep is a white-faced, clean-headed, polled sheep, with a large robust body that does well in conformation. At maturity, rams weigh 103 kg (227 lb) and ewes 79 kg (174 lb) on average. [3] They have good carcase characteristics. In comparative trials in Hungary for meat production, crossbred lambs sired by British Milksheep had a superior carcase grading, a higher killing-out percentage than crosses sired by Ile de France, Suffolk and Mutton Merino rams, and the meat was the most tender as measured by shear force.
It is the most prolific British breed. Mature ewes achieve an average litter size of more than 3.00 and this advantage carries through to lambs weaned per ewe. Before the breed settled to the desired level of prolificacy, some remarkable records were achieved in the early stages of the project, with sextuplets being not uncommon and one ewe achieving a lifetime record of 44 lambs in 10 crops. Comparative trials carried out by the Scottish Agricultural College in the 1990s showed that half-bred ewes sired by the British Milksheep achieved a level of productivity 11% higher than half-breds sired by Bluefaced Leicester and Border Leicester rams, and 26% higher than those sired by Bleu du Maine and Rouge de l’Ouest rams. Average milk yield depends on the standard of management of the flock and can vary from 250 to more than 400 litres in a 210-day lactation, with 6% fat and 6% protein. Some pure flocks continue to be used for dairying and produce milk for consumers with allergy to cows’ milk, ice-cream, and speciality cheeses in northern England and Canada. There are claims that ewes produce 650 L (170 US gal) to 900 L (240 US gal) of milk in a 300-day lactation with a 5.5 to 9.5% fat content [1] but those claims have not been verified. In comparative trials for milk yield in Hungary, using the local Merino population with a milk yield of 30-50 litres per lactation, British Milksheep crosses proved superior to crosses by Lacaune and Awassi rams. They yielded 90-130 litres compared with 60-80 litres from Lacaune crosses and 80-105 litres from Awassi crosses.
Ewes produce 4 kg (8.8 lb) and rams 6.5 kg (14 lb) fleece with a spinning count of 50 to 54s. The staple length is 12 to 18 cm (4.7 to 7.1 in). [1]
The Cotswold is a British breed of domestic sheep. It originates in, and is named for, the Cotswold hills of the southern midlands of England. It is a large long-woollen sheep, and is kept as a dual-purpose breed, providing both meat and wool.
The Border Leicester is a British breed of sheep. It is a polled, long-wool sheep and is considered a dual-purpose breed as it is reared both for meat and for wool. The sheep are large but docile. They have been exported to other sheep-producing regions, including Australia and the United States.
The Dagliç is a breed of sheep found primarily in western Anatolia in Turkey. They are a carpet wool breed used for both meat and dairy production. Sheep of this breed typically have black spots on the head and legs, the rams are usually horned and the ewes are polled. The breed is thought by some to be the origin of the Chios and Kamakuyruk breeds.
The Awassi is a local fat-tailed sheep breed in South-West Asia originated in the Syro-Arabian desert. Other local names can also be Arab, Baladi, Deiri, Syrian, Ausi, Nuami, Gezirieh, or Ivesi (Turkish). It is multi coloured: white with brown head and legs. The ears are long and drooping.
The Romney, formerly called the Romney Marsh sheep but generally referred to by the local farmers as the Kent, is a breed of sheep originating in England. The Romney is a "long-wool" breed recognized in England by 1800. Exported to other continents, the Romney is an economically important sheep breed, especially to the sheep-meat and wool export trades of New Zealand.
The Texel is a breed of domestic sheep originally from the island of Texel in the Netherlands. A heavily muscled sheep, it produces a lean meat carcass and will pass on this quality to crossbred progeny. The wool is around 32 micrometres and is mostly used for hosiery yarns and knitting wools. It is presently a popular lean meat sheep across Europe, as well as Australia, New Zealand and the United States.
The East Friesian is a breed of dairy sheep originating from East Frisia in northern Germany. It is one of the best milk sheep in terms of yield per ewe.
The Bluefaced Leicester (BFL) is a longwool breed of sheep which evolved from a breeding scheme of Robert Bakewell, in Dishley, Leicestershire in the eighteenth century. First known as the Dishley Leicester, and then the Hexham Leicester, because of the prevalence of the breed in Northumberland, the name Bluefaced Leicester became known at the beginning of the 20th century. In the 1970s, the Bluefaced Leicester was exported to Canada. Exported frozen semen from the United Kingdom is now used to expand the genetic diversity in Canada and the United States. This breed is raised primarily for meat, but their fleece is becoming increasingly popular for handspinning. Bluefaced Leicester sheep may also have brown on their face. The sell record has been set by a brown ram lamb selling for 23,000 guineas.
Sheep's milk is the milk of domestic sheep. It is commonly used to make cultured dairy products such as cheese. Some of the most popular sheep cheeses include feta (Greece), ricotta (Italy), and Roquefort (France).
The Kerry Hill is a breed of domestic sheep originating in the county of Powys in Wales. It derives its name from the village of Kerry (Ceri), near Newtown. Kerry Hill sheep have a distinctive and unique coloration, with a white face bearing black markings around the mouth, ears, and eyes. Both rams and ewes are polled. Their wool is white, and their legs are white with black markings. First mentions of the breed date back to the early 19th century, and today it is distributed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark. Though still not very numerous, the breed was removed from the records of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust watchlist in 2006. This breed is primarily raised for meat.
The South African Meat Merino or SAMM is a wool and meat sheep originating in South Africa, but now found throughout the world.
The Basco-Béarnaise or Vasca Carranzana is a breed of domestic sheep originating in the Basque country. It was developed from Basque and Béarnaise sheep during the 1960s to be a single-purpose milk breed.
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The Beulah Speckled Face is a breed of domestic sheep originating in the United Kingdom. Having been bred in the uplands of Wales for more than a hundred years, a breed society was officially formed in 1958. This breed is most common in Eppynt, Llanafan Fawr, Abergwesyn, and Llanwrtyd Wells, and it is little known outside Wales. The origins of the breed are unclear; it may be a truly native breed that has been selected to suit the local environment for centuries. The breed is named for its distinctly patterned black and white face, which is free from wool. The ewes, which are naturally polled, are often crossed with lowland rams such as the Suffolk, Texel or Bluefaced Leicester to breed mules, and to produce market lambs for meat. When bred pure, the lambs do not meet today's export demand for lean, fast-growing sheep. However, the ewes make good mothers and produce plenty of milk.
The Chios is a breed of domestic sheep with specific unknown origins. It is classified as a semi-fat tailed breed. The Chios are bred mainly for their milk production. Although there is speculation that this breed may have been crossed with Kivircik and Dagliç, it is commonly accepted that it originated on the Greek island of Chios.
The Comeback is a type of domestic sheep originating in Australia. This type of sheep results from crossbreds produced by British Longwool sheep and Merinos being mated back to Merinos. This cross is made to achieve a finer, better style of wool. Comeback style wool is also produced by Bond, Cormo and Polwarth sheep and they may prove easier to breed than Comebacks. The Comeback sheep are raised for meat and their fine wool.
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The Savoiarda or razza di Cuorgné is a threatened breed of upland sheep from the province of Turin, in Piemonte, north-west Italy. The few remaining breeders are in the Val Chisone, the Val di Susa, the Valli di Lanzo and the Val Pellice.
The Gentile di Puglia is a breed of domestic sheep indigenous to southern Italy. It originates from the Tavoliere di Foggia, a large plain in the northern part of Puglia, and is raised mainly in that region; a few are found in neighbouring regions. The Gentile di Puglia is sometimes known as the Merinos d'Italia, or Italian merino.
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