The Dorset Down is a breed of

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 ...

native to the Dorset Downs region of

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. It originated in the early 19th century from crosses of local and

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English cities on its south coast, Southampton and Portsmouth, Hampshire ...

ewes with Southdown rams. The breed is not closely related to the

Dorset Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset. Covering an area of , ...

(a.k.a. Dorset Horned), which is a white-faced sheep. Dorset Downs are medium-sized, robust sheep with dark faces and short wool. Prior to the importation of Continental breeds like the

Texel Texel (; Texels dialect: ) is a municipality and an island with a population of 13,643 in North Holland, Netherlands. It is the largest and most populated island of the West Frisian Islands in the Wadden Sea. The island is situated north of Den ...

, the Dorset Down was a popular terminal sire breed in the United Kingdom. Today it is listed as a minority 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 pres ...

. It was also exported to North and South America, New Zealand and Australia, but remains fairly rare in those countries as well.

References

External links

Dorset Down Sheep Breeders Association
Sheep breeds Sheep breeds originating in England Animal breeds on the RBST Watchlist Culture in Dorset {{sheep-stub