Four
generations together.
Hebridean Sheep
are a
small, primitive breed with two or four horns and soft, silky black fleece
which is wonderful for spinning. Ewes typically weigh about 40kg. The legs
are proportionately long and are thin and delicate below the hocks. The feet
are small with exceptionally hard horn. The sheep are not inclined to
fatness nor to carrying excess condition; mature adults even on good keep
rarely have a body condition score greater than 3. The body is relatively
long for an animal of the size with well sprung ribs; the back should be
level throughout. They are great at leaping walls and are real escape
artists!
There is evidence of them in Viking times, and, for a long while,
they have been used as specimen animals on large estates. They are very
hardy – the rigours of Lancashire are nothing to living on remote Scottish Iles. They are excellent conservation grazers, as they prefer to eat the
coarser grass and undergrowth (such a Mollina grass which invades heath
land) which softer white sheep will not touch. Perhaps because of this
their meat is low in fat and cholesterol and has a rich taste. Their fleece
is good, dense and weather-proof and is sought after by hand spinners and
weavers. It is purported to have a Bradford count of 48-50 and a staple
length of 6-8 inches; the average fleece weight is about 2kg
The lambs (normally twins) are born with jet black curly coats
which lengthen with age. Hebridean sheep make excellent mothers, producing
plenty of milk and taking great care of the new lambs – particularly in the
first few weeks. As they grow their fleece develops a slight deep brown
tinge from the sun. Once they are about three years old they start to turn
slowly grey, just like humans! They are long lived, often living healthily
until about 12 years old.
The
sheep come when called
The Hare Appletree Flock
Hare Appletree is a small community in the Trough of Bowland,
which catches the western wind and rain and has thick lush grass, and
wonderful views extending to Wales and the Isle of Man on a good day.
The animals share a quiet and peaceful life up in
the hills with other animals that range from hens, ducks and geese to beef
and dairy cows, as well as wild moor or fell creature such as deer,
pheasant, buzzards, heron and hawks, and, of course, hares..
The Hare Appletree flock has
been built up over the years, and has seen hebridean sheep move from a
threatened rare breed to one that is well on the road to recovery and is now
classed as a minority breed. It is a pedigree flock of with around 25
breeding ewes, lots of lambs, and a couple of tups (as is the common name).
Every member of the flock has been DNA tested and is scrapie resistant and
is fully traceable.
The flock are born and raised in Hare Appletree – they know the
area, and they wander around the fields in loose family groups, led by the
grey matriarchs! They are reared under organic principles with minimum
intervention and as natural a life as possible, consistent with good
health. Wool from the flock is sent to a small woollen mill in Wales where
it is processed using the undyed natural colours of the Hebridean. Most of
it is woven into warm soft blankets or throws. The throws are 72’ x 54’ and
are dark grey/black, and are luxuriously soft with fringed edges. The
blankets come in a range of sizes. Some is also spun into a light Arran
weight knitting wool – with a subtle colour mixture of very dark grey with
deep brown highlights or it
Pasture
in the rain, again!