The Lonk is a British breed of

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 ...

. It belongs to the group of black-faced hill breeds of northern England, and is found in the hills of the central and southern Pennines of

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancash ...

and

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other English counties, functions have ...

. It is documented from the mid-eighteenth century; a flock book was started in 1905.

History

The Lonk has been reared on the

fells A fell (from Old Norse ''fell'', ''fjall'', "mountain"Falk and Torp (2006:161).) is a high and barren landscape feature, such as a mountain or moor-covered hill. The term is most often employed in Fennoscandia, Iceland, the Isle of Man, pa ...

and

for several hundred years; a herd with records going back to 1740 is still in existence. It is particularly associated with the area around

Haslingden Haslingden is a town in Rossendale, Lancashire, England. It is north of Manchester. The name means 'valley of the hazels' or 'valley growing with hazels'. At the time of the 2011 census the town (including Helmshore) had a population of 15,96 ...

, and is also known as the Improved Haslingden. The origin of the word 'Lonk' is unknown; it may derive from the enm, wlonk, ang, wlanc, with meanings including 'proud' and 'bold'; it may be a word for the coarse grazing of its area of origin; or it may derive from 'lanky'. A

breed society Breed clubs are associations or clubs with activities centered on a single, specific breed of a particular species of domesticated animal. The purpose of the association will vary with the species of animal and the goals and needs of the members of ...

, the Lonk Sheep Breeders' Association, was established in 1905, and a flock book was begun in the same year. Like other traditional breeds, the Lonk was threatened by the mass slaughter of flocks during the

2001 United Kingdom foot-and-mouth outbreak The outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the United Kingdom in 2001 caused a crisis in British agriculture and tourism. This epizootic saw 2,000 cases of the disease in farms across most of the British countryside. Over 6 million cows and ...

; some genetic material was placed in storage. In 1999 the total breed population was reported to

DAD-IS DAD-IS is the acronym of the worldwide Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, within the FAO's management of animal genetic resources programme.Domestic Animal Diversity Infor ...

at 3645 head. In 2003 a survey found that there might be close to 40 000 head of unregistered stock, but by 2012 this figure had fallen to 20 000. In 2021 the breed was listed by the

FAO The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)french: link=no, Organisation des Nations unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture; it, Organizzazione delle Nazioni Unite per l'Alimentazione e l'Agricoltura is an intern ...

as "not at risk"; in 2021 it was reported to DAD-IS as "endangered", and was listed on the watchlist of 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 ...

as "at risk".

Characteristics

The Lonk is of medium size, though larger than most upland breeds. The face and legs are clear of wool; the legs are mottled black-and-white, the face may be mottled or black; the fleece is white. Both sexes are horned. It is strong-boned, agile, long-lived and hardy, and is well adapted to the environment of its area of origin and to the poor grazing of the fells. It can be kept year-round on upland pasture.

Use

Like most other British sheep, the Lonk is reared for its meat and for its wool. Lambs can reach a killing weight of approximately on moorland pasture alone. Ewe fleeces weigh about ; the wool is rather less coarse than that of many other moorland breeds, with a Bradford count of 44s–56s. It is almost entirely free of kemp. Ewes kept in lowland conditions may be mated to terminal sire rams, producing fast-growing hybrid lambs that may be ready for slaughter in twelve weeks.

References

{{British livestock, R.1 Sheep breeds originating in England Sheep breeds