Devon Closewool
Encyclopedia
The Devon Closewool is a breed
of the domestic sheep
originating in the Exmoor
region of southwest England
. This breed is raised primarily for meat. It was developed in the late 19th century by crossing native Exmoor ewes with a Devon Longwool ram. A breed society was formed in 1923, and the first flocks registered dated back to 1894. It has since expanded its range in to neighboring regions.
The Devon Closewool is a white faced sheep with a dense, medium-length fleece. Both rams and ewes are naturally polled. The Devon Closewool is a medium size sheep, with average ewes weigh 55 kg (121 lbs) to 60 kg (132 lbs) and rams weigh 90 kg (198 lbs). It is a breed with a stout, symmetrical appearance that is hardy and suited to open grasslands and heaths
in upland
territory.
Breed
A breed is a group of domestic animals or plants with a homogeneous appearance, behavior, and other characteristics that distinguish it from other animals or plants of the same species. Despite the centrality of the idea of "breeds" to animal husbandry, there is no scientifically accepted...
of the domestic sheep
Domestic sheep
Sheep are quadrupedal, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Like all ruminants, sheep are members of the order Artiodactyla, the even-toed ungulates. Although the name "sheep" applies to many species in the genus Ovis, in everyday usage it almost always refers to Ovis aries...
originating in the Exmoor
Exmoor
Exmoor is an area of hilly open moorland in west Somerset and north Devon in South West England, named after the main river that flows out of the district, the River Exe. The moor has given its name to a National Park, which includes the Brendon Hills, the East Lyn Valley, the Vale of Porlock and ...
region of southwest England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. This breed is raised primarily for meat. It was developed in the late 19th century by crossing native Exmoor ewes with a Devon Longwool ram. A breed society was formed in 1923, and the first flocks registered dated back to 1894. It has since expanded its range in to neighboring regions.
The Devon Closewool is a white faced sheep with a dense, medium-length fleece. Both rams and ewes are naturally polled. The Devon Closewool is a medium size sheep, with average ewes weigh 55 kg (121 lbs) to 60 kg (132 lbs) and rams weigh 90 kg (198 lbs). It is a breed with a stout, symmetrical appearance that is hardy and suited to open grasslands and heaths
Heath (habitat)
A heath or heathland is a dwarf-shrub habitat found on mainly low quality acidic soils, characterised by open, low growing woody vegetation, often dominated by plants of the Ericaceae. There are some clear differences between heath and moorland...
in upland
Highland (geography)
The term highland or upland is used to denote any mountainous region or elevated mountainous plateau. Generally speaking, the term upland tends to be used for ranges of hills, typically up to 500-600m, and highland for ranges of low mountains.The Scottish Highlands refers to the mountainous...
territory.