The New Zealand Romney is a New Zealand

breed A breed is a specific group of domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist several slig ...

of sheep. It derives from British Romney Marsh stock imported to New Zealand in the nineteenth century, and was established as a separate breed in 1904. It is the most numerous sheep breed in New Zealand.

History

The New Zealand Romney derives from British Romney Marsh stock imported to New Zealand in the nineteenth century. It was established as a separate breed in 1904 with the formation of the New Zealand Romney Marsh Sheep Breeders' Association, and the first flock-book was published in the following year. By 1915 it was the most numerous sheep breed in the country. In 2000 the Romney constituted almost 60% of the national herd, with some 26.3 million head. It has contributed to the development of a number of modern breeds, among them the Coopworth, the Drysdale, the

Elliotdale Elliotdale ( xh, Xhora) is a town in Amatole District Municipality in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The town lies 50 km south of Mthatha and 22 km south-east of Mqanduli. It is named after Sir Henry Elliot, Chief Magistrat ...

, the Perendale and the Tukidale in New Zealand, and the

Romeldale The Romeldale is an American breed of domestic sheep. It derives from cross-breeding of Romney rams and Rambouillet ewes from about 1915. The California Variegated Mutant is a rare badger-faced or variegated sub-type of the Romeldale. Some sour ...

in the United States.

Characteristics

The New Zealand Romney is a thick-set white-woolled sheep of medium size; ewes weigh some and rams about It is a polled breed. The hooves are black. The face is white with a pronounced topknot; there is some

kemp Kemp may refer to: Places * Kemp, Illinois * Kemp, Ohio * Kemp, Oklahoma * Kemp, Texas * Kemp Land and Kemp Coast, Antarctica * Kemp Town, a 19th-century estate in East Sussex, England * Kemps Corner, place in India People * Kemp (surname) * Ke ...

on the face and legs. Ewes have good maternal qualities, but low prolificacy compared to some other breeds.

Use

The New Zealand Romney is reared for both

meat Meat is animal flesh that is eaten as food. Humans have hunted, farmed, and scavenged animals for meat since prehistoric times. The establishment of settlements in the Neolithic Revolution allowed the domestication of animals such as chic ...

and wool. Fleeces weigh about ; staple length is in the range with a fibre diameter of some (

Bradford count The Bradford system (also known as the English Worsted Yarn Count System or spinning count or Bradford count) is a way to assess the fineness of wool. To measure the fineness of sheep wool fibre before microscopes and lasers were used, English w ...

48/46s). The wool is used for clothing, for blankets, for hosiery, and for carpets.

References

{{Sheep breeds of Australia and New Zealand Sheep breeds originating in New Zealand Sheep breeds