Devon Closewool
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The Devon Closewool is a British breed of domestic sheep. It is distributed almost exclusively on Exmoor in North Devon, in south-west England.[1]Template:R/superscript[2]Template:R/superscript It is raised primarily for meat.[3]Template:R/superscript
History
The Devon Closewool was developed in the second half of the nineteenth century by cross-breeding native Exmoor ewes with Devon Longwool rams.[4]Template:R/superscript The oldest known flock dates from 1894.[4]Template:R/superscript A breed society – the Devon Closewool Sheep Breeders' Society – was formed in 1923, and a flock-book was started in the same year.[5]Template:R/superscript By 1950 there were close to 230 000 head.[6]Template:R/superscript In 2009 total breed numbers were estimated to be 5 000. Of these, about 95% were distributed within an area in North Devon some 100 km across, coinciding approximately with the extent of Exmoor;[2]Template:R/superscript about 75% are within 20 km of the mean centre of distribution.[4]Template:R/superscript
Characteristics
The Devon Closewool is of medium size, ewes weighing up to about 62 kg and rams up to 100 kg. It is solidly built, with strong legs.[7]Template:R/superscript It is naturally polled in both sexes, white-woolled and white-faced, with black nostrils and short ears.[7]Template:R/superscript The fleece is dense and of medium length and staple.[5]Template:R/superscript It is a hardy grassland breed, well suited to grazing on the grasslands and heaths of the uplands of its area of distribution.[4]Template:R/superscript
Use
The Devon Closewool is reared for meat and for wool.
On lowland grass, lambs may be ready for slaughter at between twelve and sixteen weeks, when they yield a dressed carcase weight of about 18–21 kg; on upland grazing they may take up to twenty-four weeks to reach the same weights.[7]Template:R/superscript Ewes have good maternal qualities, and a lambing percentage of some 150–160%.[4]Template:R/superscript Ewes may be put to rams of a terminal breed such as the Suffolk or Texel to produce cross-bred lambs; these grow fast and quickly reach slaughter weight.[4]Template:R/superscript Ewes may also be put to ram of a breed such as the Blue-faced Leicester to produce more prolific cross-bred "mule" ewes;[7]Template:R/superscript this is however uncommon.[4]Template:R/superscript
Ewe fleeces weigh some 3–4 kg, those of rams 5–6 kg.[4]Template:R/superscript The wool is dense and of medium length; staple length is 100–150 mm, fibre diameter is approximately 35 μm.[8]Template:R/superscript It is used for carpets[8]Template:R/superscript or for tweeds and hosiery.[4]Template:R/superscript
References
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- ↑ List of breeds. York: The Sheep Trust. Accessed June 2021.
- ↑ a b Amanda Carson, Matt Elliott, Julian Groom, Agnes Winter, Dianna Bowles (2009). Geographical isolation of native sheep breeds in the UK – Evidence of endemism as a risk factor to genetic resources. Livestock Science. 123 (2–3): 288-299. Template:Catalog lookup linkScript error: No such module "check isxn".. Script error: No such module "CS1 identifiers".. Template:Link note.
- ↑ Breed data sheet: Devon Closewool / United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (Sheep). Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed June 2021.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i Valerie Porter, Lawrence Alderson, Stephen J.G. Hall, D. Phillip Sponenberg (2016). Mason's World Encyclopedia of Livestock Breeds and Breeding (sixth edition). Wallingford: CABI. Template:ISBN.
- ↑ a b Devon Closewool. Action Heritage Sheep. Archived 22 February 2012.
- ↑ About The Breed. South Molton, Devon: Devon Closewool Sheep Breeders' Society. Accessed June 2021.
- ↑ a b c d Devon Closewool. Kenilworth, Warwickshire: Rare Breeds Survival Trust. Accessed June 2021.
- ↑ a b Devon Closewool. British Wool. Accessed June 2021.
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