The Wiltipoll is a

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 polled

domestic sheep Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus ''Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated sh ...

that was developed in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

from

Wiltshire Horn The Wiltshire Horn is a breed of domestic sheep originally from Wiltshire in southern England raised for meat. The breed is unusual among native British breeds, for it has the unusual feature of moulting its short wool and hair coat naturall ...

sheep with the infusion of

Border Leicester The Border Leicester is a British breed of domestic sheep, sheep. It is a Polled livestock, polled, long-wool sheep and is considered a dual-purpose breed as it is reared both for meat and for wool. The sheep are large but docile. They have bee ...

Perendale The Perendale is a breed of sheep developed in New Zealand by Massey Agricultural College (now Massey University) for use in steep hill situations. The breed is named after Sir Geoffrey Peren, and it achieves its aims by being the offspring of R ...

Poll Dorset The Poll Dorset, a short-wool, meat-producing sheep, was developed in Australia between 1937 and 1954 with the aim of breeding a true Dorset type sheep without horns. The poll gene was introduced into Dorset Horn flocks from two other polled bre ...

, and

Poll Merino The Poll Merino is a subtype of the Australian Merino breed of domestic sheep, without horns, that was developed in Australia. Characteristics These sheep are early maturing, large framed and relatively plain bodied, producing a fleece which is ...

genetics, that are raised for

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 ...

History

The polled variety of the

sheep was developed in Australia to create a polled variety of the easy-care Wiltshire Horn sheep suitable for heavy lamb production. In 1996, the breed association was formed, and it has expanded rapidly.Stephens, M (''et al.''), ''Handbook of Australian Livestock'', Australian Meat & Livestock Export Corporation, 2000 (4th ed.),

Characteristics

Wiltipolls are large, easy-care, plain-bodied sheep that shed their wool annually. They do not require crutching or shearing and do not suffer readily from fly strike, which makes them a useful breed for small holdings without

shearing shed Shearing sheds (or wool sheds) are large sheds located on sheep stations to accommodate large scale sheep shearing activities. In countries where large numbers of sheep are kept for wool, sometimes many thousands in a flock, shearing sheds ar ...

s. These sheep must have at least 96.87% Wiltshire Horn genetics, completely shed their fleece annually, and be polled. The ewes are seasonal breeders, but are good mothers, have high fertility with a high percentage of multiple births. Wiltipoll sheep may weigh up to under reasonable conditions. Wiltipoll sheep (polled Wiltshire Horn) shed their wool annually in spring to summer and produce lean, heavy lambs. They are a polled breed (no horns) bred for the production of prime lamb. The wool is simply shed and falls to the ground. Due to this process, the energy of the sheep is directed into meat and milk, not wool. The breed is, therefore, very low maintenance as it has no need for shearing,

crutching Crutching refers to the removal of wool from around the tail and between the rear legs of a sheep for hygiene purposes. It can also refer to removing wool from the heads of sheep (''wigging'' or ''eye-wooling''). It does not refer to the proces ...

mulesing Mulesing is the removal of strips of wool-bearing skin from around the breech (buttocks) of a sheep to prevent the parasitic infection flystrike (myiasis). The wool around the buttocks can retain feces and urine, which attracts flies. The scar t ...

, jetting, dipping, and docking of tails. The Wiltipoll is grass seed-resistant and fly- and lice-resistant, reducing the need for chemicals or the painful practice of mulesing. All this equates to less expense and less work. Wiltipolls have a high lambing percentage of 130–180% and good maternal instincts. They are renowned for twins and triplets. This requires fewer ewes to manage and feed with more prime lamb to sell. They produce prime lambs without laying down fat, thus producing a very lean, high-quality meat. As the Wiltipoll are polled, the sheep are easier to handle and less bruising occurs. Wiltipolls ideally suit small acreage holders and also those farmers who can not continue with the workload associated with wool breeds. This breed is very hardy and can survive on rough, scrubby feed.

References

External links

breeds of Australia and New Zealand Sheep breeds originating in Australia