We aim to maintain the unique qualities of our cattle and sheep.
The
Scottish
Blackface
Sheep
The Breed - is the most numerous breed of sheep in the British Isles. It is found where conditions are hard and rough (National Sheep Association, 2020). It is known for it's ability to survive where no other breed can. The history of the breed is lost in the past, but there are monastery records of the 12th century, which speak of the black face breed of sheep. The monks used this sheep's wool for their clothing and exported large amounts to Europe.
Also Known By: Blackface, Blackfaced Highland, Kerry (Ireland), Linton, Scottish Mountain, Scottish Highland, Scotch Blackface, Scotch Horn. The Scottish Blackface is an attractive, hardy, old breed. It is likely that the breed developed in the border area of Scotland and England.
Monastery records show that monks in the Twelfth Century raised sheep that are the progenitors of the modern Scottish Blackface breed (Duncan, 2004). The monks used the wool of the dun-faced sheep, as they were often called, for their own clothing and exported large amounts to Europe. Later records show, in 1503, James the IV of Scotland established a flock of 5,000 Scottish Blackface in Ettrick Forest.
Today the Blackface is numerically, and probably economically, one of the most important in the United Kingdom. In 1989 their wool accounted for nearly 40% of the total wool production of Scotland and one twelfth the wool production of the United Kingdom. The fleece that the Scottish Blackface has today is the result of selective breeding since medieval times from a short coarse wooled ancestor. The fleece of the modern Scottish Blackface weighs from 1.75 to 3 kg with a staple length of 15 to 30 cm.
Blackface ewes are excellent mothers and will defend their offspring against any perceived threat. They are good milkers and are able to yield a lamb crop and a wool clip even when on marginal pastures. The breed spread from the border areas during the 19th Century to the highlands and the islands and also to Northern Ireland and the US. There are small flocks scattered across the USA but this robust breed has remained a minor breed.
The Scottish Blackface are excellent on brushy hillsides and can be useful for improving pastures. They are very adept at regaining condition after lambing or a hard winter. In the world of meat production the Blackface plays two distinct roles in the UK. Firstly they produce lambs on the hills; latter they are brought down to the lower country and are crossed with Border Liecesters.
Blackface lambs yield a carcass ideal for the modern consumer. The meat is free of superfluous fat and waste and is known the world over for its distinct flavor (Oklahoma State, 2003). Although they are not large sheep they have enormous potential for the production in the US of high quality lean lamb for today's health conscious consumer.
Scottish Blackface wool is used in the production of fine carpets. It has exceptionally hard wearing qualities combined with a natural springiness which enables it the pile of the carpet to resist tread marks and to regain its upright position even after the prolonged pressure of heavy furniture. Many of the best Axminster and Wilton Carpets are made from this wool. Some grades of Scottish Blackface wool are used in the manufacture of Scottish and Irish tweeds. Other grades are exported in considerable quantities to Italy where the wool is greatly prized for filling mattresses. Artisans have long treasured the horns of the Blackface for the carving of shepherds crooks and walking sticks. In the US the fleeces are becoming of interest to fiber artists and hand spinners for use in tapestry and the making of rugs and saddle blankets.
The
Miniature White Park
Galloway
Cattle
The Breed - The White Park Galloway is an ancient and rare breed of cattle. They are one of the world's longest established breeds of beef cattle, named after the Galloway region of Scotland, where it originated, during the 17th century (Cattle International, 2020). It is now found in many parts of the world, being exported to Canada in 1853, the US in the 1850s and Australia in 1951.
During the late 1700s and early 1800s, the Galloway breed was developed through selection for standardized, polled beef cattle that retained environmental adaptation. Galloway cattle became a valuable element of the trade between Scotland and England (The Livestock Conservancy, 2020).
The Galloway is related to the Aberdeen Angus, which was developed in northeastern Scotland about the same time. A herdbook for the two black, polled beef breeds was established in 1862, with a separate Galloway herdbook opened in 1877. Since then, the breeds have diverged, with the Angus selected for rapid growth on better feed, and the Galloway for its ability to thrive on poor forage in a cold, wet climate.
Galloway cattle were imported to the United States beginning in the 1850s, and the American Galloway Breeders Association was founded in 1882. The Galloway’s success initially rivaled that of the Angus, though by 1900, it was found in a smaller niche as a range breed on the Plains.
The Galloway has a shaggy coat with both a thick, wooly undercoat for warmth and stiffer guard hairs that help shed water, making them well adapted to harsh climates. The double haired coat is shed in hot weather, thus making them highly adaptable and versatile for a variety of climatic conditions. They are naturally hornless or polled. Instead of horns they have a boney knob at the top of the skull (Redwing Farm, 2020).
Galloway cattle are special for many reasons. They are docile, easy to handle and easy to care for. Their coat reduces heat loss in winter and helps make the coat resistant to cold, wet weather. This in turn means that winter feed costs are significantly less than for other cattle. They have a superior foraging ability ensuring that they thrive where other breeds fail (Redwing Farm, 2020).
Galloway cattle are known for having the lowest incidence of calving problems and are great mothers with some of the highest calf survival rates. They are renowned for their mothering ability, producing enough rich milk to wean a healthy calf or two. The full-size Galloway calf at birth is smaller than most breed averaging 60 to 70-pound birth weights. The Miniature Galloway is even smaller.