The Oxford Down is a British

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 domestic sheep. It was developed in the 1830s by cross-breeding of

Hampshire Down The Hampshire Down or Hampshire is a British breed of sheep. It originated in about 1829 from cross-breeding of Southdowns with the Old Hampshire breed, the Wiltshire Horn and the Berkshire Nott, all horned, white-faced sheep — these were na ...

and Southdown ewes with

Cotswold The Cotswolds (, ) is a region in central-southwest England, along a range of rolling hills that rise from the meadows of the upper Thames to an escarpment above the Severn Valley and Evesham Vale. The area is defined by the bedrock of Juras ...

rams. It is reared primarily 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 Oxford Down developed from about 1830, when

and Southdown ewes were put to

rams. Much of this breeding took place in the area of Witney in western

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primarily ...

, and this gave rise to the breed name. A breed society, the Oxford Down Sheep Breeders Association, was formed in 1889 and a

flock-book A breed registry, also known as a herdbook, studbook or register, in animal husbandry and the hobby of animal fancy, is an official list of animals within a specific breed whose parents are known. Animals are usually registered by their breeders ...

was published in the same year. In the twenty-first century it is an endangered breed in the United Kingdom, and is listed as 'at risk' on the watchlist of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. A population of just over head was reported to DAD-IS in 2021. Outside the UK, it is distributed ten other European countries and in Canada and the United States; the global population is estimated to be some head, and its international conservation status is 'not at risk'.

Characteristics

The Oxford Down is a very large sheep, the largest of the Down breeds, robust and powerful. Rams weigh some and ewes . It is a shortwool breed, white on the body with brown or black wool on the face and lower legs. It produces the heaviest fleece of any of the Down breeds. Its capacity to produce a large, meaty carcase for further processing has stimulated interest from the meat industry, and it also grows the most wool of any of the terminal sire breeds.

References

External links

Oxford Down Sheep Breeders' Association UK official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oxford Down Sheep breeds History of Oxfordshire Culture in Oxford Sheep breeds originating in England Animal breeds on the RBST Watchlist