The Portland is a
sheep
Sheep (: sheep) or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are a domesticated, ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to d ...
breed that takes its name from the
Isle of Portland
The Isle of Portland is a tied island, long by wide, in the English Channel. The southern tip, Portland Bill, lies south of the resort of Weymouth, Dorset, Weymouth, forming the southernmost point of the county of Dorset, England. A barrier ...
in
Dorset
Dorset ( ; Archaism, archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north and the north-east, Hampshire to the east, t ...
, England. This breed is raised primarily for
meat
Meat is animal Tissue (biology), tissue, often muscle, that is eaten as food. Humans have hunted and farmed other animals for meat since prehistory. The Neolithic Revolution allowed the domestication of vertebrates, including chickens, sheep, ...
.
[
]
History
Once common all over Dorset, the breed was once one of the rarest in Britain and is still at risk. It nearly became extinct in the 1970s, but has now recovered through efforts of dedicated breeders and the help of the
Rare Breeds Survival Trust
The Rare Breeds Survival Trust is a conservation (ethic), conservation charity whose purpose is to secure the continued existence and viability of the native farm animal genetic resources (FAnGR) of the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1973 b ...
.
[
] It is now listed as "at risk", being a minority breed.
[
] As one of the very old tan-faced breeds native to
heathland
A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and is characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a coole ...
s, the Portland was a primary contributor to the
Dorset breed.
, a community farm on the Isle of Portland is home to the only flock of the Portland Sheep breed on the island.
Characteristics
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
A crescent shape (, ) is a symbol or emblem used to represent the lunar phase (as it appears in the northern hemisphere) in the first quarter (the "sickle moon"), or by extension a symbol representing the Moon itself.
In Hindu iconography, Hind ...
shape. The horns are cream-coloured, often having one or more thin black lines running along the horn lengthways.
Lambs are born with a foxy-red coat which changes in the first few months to a creamy white.
[
]
The face is generally free of wool, but some sheep have a top knot of short wool. 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
An aquiline nose is a human nose with a prominent bridge, giving it the appearance of being curved or slightly bent. The word ''aquiline'' comes from the Latin word ' ("eagle-like"), an allusion to the curved beak of an eagle. While some have ...
. 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. The meat has a more complex flavour than most commercial breeds, highly prized since the time of
George III
George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Ireland from 25 October 1760 until his death in 1820. The Acts of Union 1800 unified Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and ...
.
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.
[
]
This breed will sometimes breed out of season, and was the first breed of sheep in Britain able to have lambs at any time of the year.
[
]
See also
*
Cuisine of Dorset
The cuisine of Dorset, a county in South West England, is characterised by a variety of, often simple, dishes which are sourced, or have traditionally been sourced, from the county itself. Today, the cuisine of Dorset reflects the wider shift towa ...
References
External links
Portland Sheep Breeders Group
{{British livestock, R.1
Sheep breeds
Culture in Dorset
Sheep breeds originating in England
Sheep
Sheep (: sheep) or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are a domesticated, ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to d ...
Animal breeds on the RBST Watchlist