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The Balwen Welsh Mountain sheep is one of a number of varieties of Welsh Mountain sheep, bred for
The Balwen Welsh Mountain sheep is one of a number of varieties of Welsh Mountain sheep, bred for sheep farming in Wales
Sheep farming has been important to the economy of Wales. Much of Wales is rural countryside and sheep are seen throughout the country. The woollen industry in Wales was a major contributor to the national economy, accounting for two-thirds of t ...
. It has a distinctive colour pattern of a black body with white extremities. It originates in the Tywi valley in Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
. This breed is raised primarily for meat.
Appearance
The Balwen sheep has a base colour of black, fading to brown in sunlight and greying with age. It has a white blaze on the face, four white feet (referred to as ''socks''), and white covering the last half or more of the tail – the tail is normally left un docked. Otherwise it is of similar type to other Welsh Mountain Sheep. Males havehorn
Horn most often refers to:
*Horn (acoustic), a conical or bell shaped aperture used to guide sound
** Horn (instrument), collective name for tube-shaped wind musical instruments
*Horn (anatomy), a pointed, bony projection on the head of various ...
s, and females are naturally polled.
Etymology
The name ''Balwen'' comes from the Welsh elements , "blaze", and , "white".Origins
Balwen Welsh Mountain sheep originate in one small area of Wales – the Tywi valley. This area was hit badly by the very severeBritish
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
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winter of 1946-1947
Winter is the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Different cultures ...
, and the breed was nearly wiped out – only one ram was amongst the survivors. All modern Balwen sheep are therefore presumably descended from this one ram, although it is possible that some of the ewes may have been in lamb to rams that did not survive the winter. Outcrossing with other types of Welsh Mountain sheep may also have occurred, and this would have increased the genetic diversity of the breed. During the 1950s and 1960s a steady increase took place, and in the 1970s people outside the valley began to take an interest in the breed. The Balwen Welsh Mountain Breed Society was formed in 1985, and numbers are gradually increasing further.
The breed is listed by the British 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 pres ...
as ''Vulnerable''.
Characteristics
The Balwen is becoming popular among smallholders and farmers alike, mainly due to its attractive markings, hardiness, ease of care and excellent meat. The ewes make excellent mothers, having very few lambing problems and plenty of milk to feed the lambs. At their first lambing, most ewes have single lambs. But after that, under the right conditions many twin, and some have even reared triplets. Their wool is graded as ''soft/medium'', and with a medium length staple of 5 - 7.5 cm and a diameter of 32.3 micrometres, it is easy to spin.See also
* Zwartbles, an unrelated breed with a similar colour patternReferences
{{reflist Sheep breeds Sheep breeds originating in Wales Animal breeds on the RBST Watchlist