Information about Dalesbred Sheep
Farming Dalesbreds:
On the high fell farms the lambs are born April to May and spend their first summer on the fells. They are not mated until they are about eighteen months old.
The ewes will produce 120/140% lamb crops on the hills and on lower ground this will rise to 150/200% depending on management conditions.
The wether lambs and surplus gimmers will provide a carcase of 12 to 17kg ideal for smaller joint demanded by todays markets. As a mature ewe she will have a live body weight of 45 to 60kg with the rams reaching 55 to 80kg depending on their environment.
The ewes are sheared in June/July and the wool is used mainly in the carpet making industry with a small amount going to the Tweed makers. The fleeces weigh 1.5 to 3 kg.
The ram lambs that are kept to raise for shearling rams are inspected and given a tag which has their own individual number and owners flock number on them. They are inspected as shearlings and registered to be sold at the sales in the autumn.
The ewes are also given their own individual number as gimmers.
All the rams are registered and their pedigrees are included in a flock book which is produced annually. The number of ewes registered to each member is also included.
In the breed development the Dalesbred breeders decided to take advantage of the developing technology in genetic profiling to embark on a programme of blood testing all the rams to determine their resistance to scrapie which is a disease which debilitates and kills those infected. It has successfully been eradicated due to this programme.
Breed description
Looking back at the first Dalesbred flock books the breed specifications are as follows:
(hold your mouse over each title)