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The Whitefaced Woodland is a sheep breed from the Woodlands of Hope an area in the South Pennines in England. It is a combination of two breeds, the Woodland and the
Penistone
Penistone ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England, which had a population of 22,909 at the 2011 census. Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is west of Barnsley, n ...
sheep after the
Yorkshire
Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...
town where sheep sales have been held since 1699.
[
] It is thought to be closely related to the
Swaledale
Swaledale is one of the northernmost dales (valleys) in Yorkshire Dales National Park, located in northern England. It is the dale of the River Swale on the east side of the Pennines in North Yorkshire.
Geographical overview
Swaledale runs ...
and the
Lonk.
[
] Substantial commercial flocks of the Whitefaced Woodland are kept in its region of origin, but it is listed as a vulnerable breed by the
Rare Breeds Survival Trust
The Rare Breeds Survival Trust is a conservation charity whose purpose is to secure the continued existence and viability of the native farm animal genetic resources (FAnGR) of the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1973 by Joe Henson to prese ...
, since there are fewer than 900 registered breeding females in
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
.
[
]
Characteristics
The Whitefaced Woodland is one of the largest hill breeds, with ewes sometimes weighing more the 60 kg (132 lbs) when kept in
lowland
Upland and lowland are conditional descriptions of a plain based on elevation above sea level. In studies of the ecology of freshwater rivers, habitats are classified as upland or lowland.
Definitions
Upland and lowland are portions of ...
pastures. Unlike most Pennine breeds it has a white face and legs and short, fine
wool
Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have properties similar to animal wool.
As ...
. The staple length of the wool is between 10 cm (4.7 inches) to 15 cm (7.1 inches) with a spinning count of 50's to 54's. The average fleece weight is 2 kg (4.5 lb) to 3 kg (6.5 lb).
Its main use has been as a
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 ...
breed. However, its wool is used in carpet.
[
] Both sexes are horned and the ram horns are heavily spiraled.
References
Sheep breeds
Sheep breeds originating in England
Animal breeds on the RBST Watchlist
{{British livestock, R.1