Английская Википедия:Devon Closewool

Материал из Онлайн справочника
Перейти к навигацииПерейти к поиску

Шаблон:EngvarB Шаблон:Use dmy dates Шаблон:Short description Шаблон:Infobox sheep breed

The Devon Closewool is a British breed of domestic sheep. It is distributed almost exclusively on Exmoor in North Devon, in south-west England.Шаблон:R It is raised primarily for meat.Шаблон:R

History

The Devon Closewool was developed in the second half of the nineteenth century by cross-breeding native Exmoor ewes with Devon Longwool rams.Шаблон:R The oldest known flock dates from 1894.Шаблон:R A breed society – the Devon Closewool Sheep Breeders' Society – was formed in 1923, and a flock-book was started in the same year.Шаблон:R By 1950 there were close to 230 000 head.Шаблон:R In 2009 total breed numbers were estimated to be 5 000. Of these, about 95% were distributed within an area in North Devon some Шаблон:Nobreak across, coinciding approximately with the extent of Exmoor;Шаблон:R about 75% are within Шаблон:Nobreak of the mean centre of distribution.Шаблон:R

Characteristics

The Devon Closewool is of medium size, ewes weighing up to about Шаблон:Nobreak and rams up to Шаблон:Nobreak. It is solidly built, with strong legs.Шаблон:R It is naturally polled in both sexes, white-woolled and white-faced, with black nostrils and short ears.Шаблон:R The fleece is dense and of medium length and staple.Шаблон:R It is a hardy grassland breed, well suited to grazing on the grasslands and heaths of the uplands of its area of distribution.Шаблон:R

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 Шаблон:Nobreak; on upland grazing they may take up to twenty-four weeks to reach the same weights.Шаблон:R Ewes have good maternal qualities, and a lambing percentage of some 150–160%.Шаблон:R 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.Шаблон:R Ewes may also be put to ram of a breed such as the Blue-faced Leicester to produce more prolific cross-bred "mule" ewes;Шаблон:R this is however uncommon.Шаблон:R

Ewe fleeces weigh some Шаблон:Nobreak, those of rams Шаблон:NobreakШаблон:R The wool is dense and of medium length; staple length is Шаблон:Nobreak, fibre diameter is approximately Шаблон:NobreakШаблон:R It is used for carpetsШаблон:R or for tweeds and hosiery.Шаблон:R

References

Шаблон:Reflist

Шаблон:British livestock