Norfolk Horn Sheep Breed – Everything You Need to Know

Table of Contents

1 NORFOLK HORN SHEEP QUICK PROFILE OVERVIEW
2 PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
3 EWE BREEDING & MILKING INFORMATION
4 SHEEP MEAT PRODUCTION INFORMATION
5 SHEEP WOOL PRODUCTION INFORMATION
6 SHEEP SKIN PRODUCTION INFORMATION
7 GOOD TO KNOW ABOUT THE NORFOLK HORN SHEEP
8 GENERAL INFORMATION
9 HISTORY
10 USEFUL LINKS

The Norfolk Horn sheep are medium to large breed of sheep with a very powerful long body and sturdy legs. Their temperament have been likened to that of a goats and called flighty as they are quite quick to take flight and can basically jump and spring very well.
They are quite a rare breed these days but are still prized for the meat and for crossing with other breeds.

NORFOLK HORN SHEEP QUICK PROFILE OVERVIEW
Powerful, strong with a beautiful face framed by a gorgeous set of horns. They have been used in the development of some common sheep breeds.
Country of Origin:	United Kingdom
Other Names:	Old Norfolk, Old Norfolk Horned, Blackface Norfolk Horned, Norfolk Horn
Breed Size:	Medium to large
Main Purpose:	Meat but can be used for wool
Can be used for	Breed, **LSC, Meat, Wool
Temperament:	Flighty
Ideal Climate:	Heat, Cold, Most climates
Conservation Status:	Not listed by the *ALC Status/Rarity: Rare listed on the Rare Breed Survival Trust
Health Issues?	No known health issues
Good Starter Sheep?	Intermediate to expert farming/keeping level
Sheep Associations:	Norfolk Horn Breeders Group
Sheep Clubs:	Please refer to Norfolk Horn Breeders Group breeders/members directories for more information
Note: ALC stands for American Livestock Conservancy * LSC stands for Landscape Management – the animal is used for controlling various vegetation growth

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Strong well built, powerful bodies and legs. They have a very evenly spread and proportional body. With a clean face and prominent Roman nosed profile.

Color(s):

White

SHEEP ⇒	EWE	RAM
Breed Weight:	70 kgs	90 to 95 kgs
Breed Height:	Unclear they are a medium sized breed	Unclear they are a medium sized breed
Hair:	Short, staple, dense and close to the body	Short, staple, dense and close to the body
Ears:	Medium and alert	Medium and alert
Horns:	Light curved horns	Heavy spiraled horns
Matures at age:	10 weeks/15 months	10 weeks to 15 months
Puberty Age:	5 to 12 months	5 to 7 months
Breeding Age:	18 months	1 year
Breeding Traits:	1 Breeding cycle per year	Cover 5 to 10 Ewes in 1 season

EWE BREEDING & MILKING INFORMATION
The ewes breed once a year and mostly produce enough milk to wean their lambs. They are excellent mothers and are prolific with a lambing percentage of about 170% with few lambing birth difficulties.
Breeding Period/cycle:	Usually lasts 24 to 36 hours
Estrous cycle:	Ave. 17 days/13 to 19 days
Gestation Period:	Usually, around 150 to 155 days but most gestation is 152 days
No. Lambs/Litter:	1 to 2 with older ewes sometimes able to produce triplets
Lactation Period:	Usually, around 150 to 240 day but most are milked for 180 days
Milking From:	4 to 6 weeks after lambing
Milk Quality:	Good
Milk Ideal for:	Lambs
You may Also Like:	10 Best Sheep Breeds for Milk

SHEEP MEAT PRODUCTION INFORMATION

Although a rare breed there is still quite a few of them in numbers. They are still used as a meat sheep with lambs that grow quite quickly and reach a staple weight of around 17 to 18 kgs by 5 months old. The meat is quite lean which allows the lambs to be taken at heavier weights. It is of premium quality with a full flavor and good grain

Meat Production:

Yes, Quality: Excellent

SHEEP ⇒	LAMB	HOGGET/MUTTON
Approx. Maturity Weight:	58 kgs	79 Kgs

SHEEP WOOL PRODUCTION INFORMATION

Most sheep produce some form or wool. Some breeds are hair sheep and they are not used for their wool whilst other wool sheep have a low quality of wool that would be used for some form of production such as maybe Lanolin, etc.

Wool Production?

N/A, Quality: Medium quality with a Bradford count of 54s to 56s

Wool is used to Produce:

Blankets, weaving, carpets, etc.

SHEEP ⇒	EWE	RAM
Age they Produce from:	6 to 8 months	6 to 8 months
Approx. Length:	7 to 10 cm	7 to 10 cm
Microns:	25 to 33	25 to 33
Approx. Quantity:	From 1.5 to 2 kgs a year	From 1.5 to 2 kgs a year

SHEEP SKIN PRODUCTION INFORMATION

They are not primarily bred for their sheep skin production. Although their skin is or has at some time been used for the production of some form of sheep skin product such as chamois, etc.

Skin Production?

N/A

Skin is used to Produce:

Kid skin leather products such as shoes, car seats, fine leather coats, gloves, etc.
Chamois cloths, leather goods such as seats, shoes and other garments and leather materials such as furniture, etc.

SHEEP ⇒	EWE	RAM
Age they Produce from:	3 to 10 months for Kid skin 1 to 2 years old for Normal leather	3 to 10 months for Kid skin 1 to 2 years old for Normal leather

GOOD TO KNOW ABOUT THE NORFOLK HORN SHEEP
A few more interesting facts to know about the breed
Child-Friendly?	No livestock should be left unattended around unsupervised children
Landscape Management?	They are good at landscape management
Where to buy them?	Please refer to Norfolk Horn Breeders Group breeders/members directories for more information

GENERAL INFORMATION

The Norfolk Horn ewes were crossed with Southdown rams to produce the popular Suffolk sheep breed.

Norfolk Horn sheep can jump or rather spring much the same goats can and are quite a flighty breed that will jump or attempt to jump to get out of danger.

The Norfolk Horn sheep breed is one of the oldest sheep breeds in Britain.

HISTORY

The Norfolk Horn Breed of sheep is a very old breed of sheep that is one of the oldest in Britain. It is said to be the descendant of the ancient Saxon Black-faced sheep that were once in abundance in Northern Europe.

The breed actually developed in the isolations of East Anglia becoming the most prevalent breed in Suffolk, Norfolk and North Essex. It could also be found in east Cambridgeshire. Its fine fleece was used for centuries in the worsted industry which was what that regions wealth was based upon during the time.

One of the Norfolk horns prime qualities is its incredible foraging abilities which allows it to graze on low grade pastures and maintain conditions. This makes them really well suited to conservation grazing.