Size
60 – 136 kg.
Color
White.
Physical Appearance
The sheep are enormous; adult rams can weigh up to 300 pounds. The characteristic coat is made up of a blend of fine hair that sheds in the spring and wool. The spiral horns on males and females are stunning. Rams and ewes both have horns, however until they reach maturity, the ram’s horns will grow one full spiral year. The hair sheep breed known as Wiltshire Horn sheds in the summer and grows a thick, coarse coat in the winter.
Characteristics and Genetics
A domestic sheep breed from the United Kingdom is called Wiltshire Horn. It originates from Wiltshire in southern England and is mostly farmed for the purpose of producing meat. Up to the 18th century, the Wiltshire Horn sheep breed was one of the most common sheep breeds in southern England. For hundreds of years, it provided manure and urine to the local populace in order to fertilise the ground used for growing wheat. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Wiltshire Horn sheep breed was on the verge of extinction. And in an effort to preserve the breed, the Wiltshire Horn Breed Society was established in 1923. In the early 1980s, there were 45 registered flocks in the UK; by 2009, there were around 300 registered flocks.
Uses
This breed of sheep is used for meat. It is primarily grown to produce meat.
Special Remarks
- A robust and durable breed of domestic sheep is the Wiltshire Horn. The ewes have a high reproductive rate and make wonderful moms.
- Pure-bred lambs can achieve slaughter weight in as little as 16 weeks because of the animals’ significantly quicker growth.
- One of the parent breeds for the Wiltipoll, Easycare, and Katahdin sheep varieties is the Wiltshire Horn sheep.
- It is no longer an unusual breed and is widely used in commercial and small-scale production.
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