Black Welsh Mountain sheep
The Black Welsh Mountain sheep (Welsh: Defaid Mynydd Duon, pronounced [ˈdevaɪd ˈmənɪð ˈdɪɔn]) is a colour type of the Welsh Mountain sheep, bred for sheep farming in Wales. It occurs occasionally in flocks of other colours, but is now often maintained as a separate strain. Like other Welsh Mountain sheep it is found mainly on the hills in Wales, but is also kept elsewhere.[1] The worldwide population of Black Welsh Mountain sheep is approximately 10000.[2] A breeders' society for Black Welsh Mountain Sheep was formed in 1920 at the Smithfield Show.[3]
Introduced into the
Characteristics
Apart from being wholly black, the Black Welsh Mountain is like other Welsh Mountain sheep – small and hardy with no wool on the face or legs; the males are horned, but females are normally polled.[1] These sheep are known for lambing easily, as well as good milk and very high fertility.
A small number of wild Mouflon sheep were introduced from Sardinia in 1906 and from Corsica in 1908 to Lambay Island (off the coast of Dublin) where they produced offspring. These were crossed with Welsh Black Mountain sheep and the inheritance of their wool-colour studied (Fraser Roberts, A. J. 1931 Colour inheritance in sheep; vi The genetic constitution of the Wild Mouflon, J. Genetics XXV (1)).
Allusions in popular culture
The band
References
- ^ a b
"Black Welsh Mountain". Breeds of Sheep. Oklahoma State University, Dept. of Animal Science. Archived from the originalon 2009-04-03. Retrieved 2009-03-27.
- ^ a b "Black Welsh Mountain". Black Welsh Sheep. American Black Welsh Mountain Sheep Organization. Retrieved 2010-03-26.
- ^ "The Association". Black Welsh Mountain Sheep Breeders' Association. The Black Welsh Mountain Sheep Breeders' Association. Archived from the original on 2011-04-10. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
- ^ Stokes, Chadwick. "Black Welsh Mountain". Retrieved January 15, 2013.
- Storey's Guide to Raising Sheep