It was originated from crosses of local and Hampshire ewes with Southdown rams in the early nineteenth century. Buy or sell your farming product, services or tractors and other vehicles on farmingads.co.uk. The Dorset Down is a solid, thickset sheep able to cope with most conditions although not suited to the uplands. The Dorset Down usually achieves lambing percentages of around 150% and is known for being able to take the ram in most months of the year. The development of the Dorset Down Sheep breed was started in …
The Dorset Down breed was developed by the crossing of the Wiltshire, Hampshire, Berkshire ewes to Southdown sheep breed rams. In addition, lambs born of Corriedale ewes mated to Dorset Down rams regularly fetch top prices at the sale yards. The Dorset Down sheep is a breed of domestic sheep from United Kingdom. The new improved breed became known as the 'Watercombe' breed after its pioneer Homer Saunders of Watercombe near Dorchester.
It is not actually closely related to the Dorset (also known as Dorset Horned), which is a white-faced sheep. The Dorset Down breed has been around for about 200 years when the largest of the local downland sheep were crossed to produce a larger stamp of sheep.
The Dorset Down breed is listed as a minority breed by the Rare Breed Survival Trust. We found Jill approachable, friendly, encouraging and knowledgeable. The Dorset Down is renown for producing early maturing lambs from grass, making them ideal for organic, and other extensive farming systems. It is native to the Dorset Downs region of England. Jill Swain's Dorset Down Sheep Four Jays Flock. HISTORY. The Dorset Down sheep is closely related to that of the Dorset Horned or Dorset sheep breed. One of the oldest breeds of native sheep, Dorset Down Sheep have a prestigious history as well as a successful future in the British farming landscape. All ages and both sexes offered and occasionally ewes with lamb at realistic prices, single sales welcome. Find Dorset down sheep for sale in UK from the UK's leading farming website. We can supply you with good quality Dorset down sheep from the Champion Four Jays Flock, founded in 1983. Testimonial. Dorset Down Sheep are justly known as “king of the prime lamb breed”. We bought our first ever sheep from Jill in April 2010. Champion pegigree rare breed. Dorset Down sheep originated in the early 1800s from a cross of Southdown rams over Wiltshire, Berkshire and Hampshire ewes during a period of significant sheep improvement in England. In common with other Down breeds the Dorset Down can easily be trained to follow the bucket and is a relatively calm breed of sheep.