Southdown Sheep Breed – Everything You Need to Know

The Southdown sheep is a sheep that originates from the United Kingdom and it is medium sized sheep breed that has a long compact body in relation to the length of their medium length legs.
They are one of the oldest breeds of “down” sheep from the United Kingdom and are prized for their meat but also produce a decent quality and quantity of wool.

SOUTHDOWN SHEEP QUICK PROFILE OVERVIEW
The Southdown sheep breed is the oldest of the “down” sheep breeds with a consistently good quality in both meat and wool production. They are said to be one of the most important and valued breeds from the United Kingdom.
Country of Origin:	United Kingdom
Other Names:	None
Breed Size:	Medium to large
Main Purpose:	Meat but can also be used for it wool
You may Also Like:	11 Best Sheep Breeds for Meat Production
Can be used for	Breed, **LSC, Meat, Wool
Temperament:	Docile and easy to handle
Ideal Climate:	Heat, Cold, Most climates
Conservation Status:	Listed by the *ALC Status/Rarity: Recovering
Health Issues?	No known health issues
Good Starter Sheep?	Novice to intermediate sheep farmer/keeper level
Sheep Associations:	American South Down Breeders Association and South Down Sheep Society
Sheep Clubs:	Please refer to the American South Down Breeders Association and South Down Sheep Society 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

The Southdown sheep breed is attractive, alert and has a very balanced appearance. They have a deep chest that is not too wide and well sprung ribs. They have long wide face and medium sized legs that are usually covered with wool and fine soft pink skin.

Color(s):

White

SHEEP ⇒	EWE	RAM
Breed Weight:	59 to 81 kgs	86 to 104 kgs
Breed Height:	Unclear they are medium to large size	Unclear they are medium to large size
Hair:	They have a dense, fine wool that is an even color and covers their entire body	They have a dense, fine wool that is an even color and covers their entire body
Ears:	They have a medium sized alert ears that are covered with a light wool	They have a medium sized alert ears that are covered with a light wool
Horns:	No horns	No horns
Matures at age:	10 weeks/15 months or 15 years	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.
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 (twins)
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

The sheep dress out well and produce a high quality with an excellent carcass. Their meat is flavorsome, rich in color, succulent and tender.

Meat Production:

Yes, Quality: Excellent

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

SHEEP WOOL PRODUCTION INFORMATION

The Southdown sheep produces a fine fiber that has been used in knitwear for many years.

Wool Production?

No, Quality: Fine to medium

Wool is used to Produce:

Knitted garments, clothes, blankets, etc.

SHEEP ⇒	EWE	RAM
Age they Produce from:	6 to 8 months	6 to 8 months
Approx. Length:	4 to 6 cm	4 to 6 cm
Microns:	23 to 29 microns	23 to 29 microns
Approx. Quantity:	From 1 kg to 2.3 kgs per year	From 1 kg to 2.3 kgs per 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 ROMNEY SHEEP
A few more interesting facts to know about the breed
Child-Friendly?	They are very docile but should not be left unattended around unsupervised children.
Landscape Management?	They do well in managing the foliage
Where to buy them?	Please refer to the American South Down Breeders Association and South Down Sheep Society breeders/members directories for more information
General Information:	The Southdown sheep breed belongs to a group of sheep called the “downs” group. They are the smallest of the breeds from this group and also the oldest breed in the group. The Southdown sheep once supplied the United Kingdom with wool, lamb and mutton.

HISTORY

Around 1341 there was and estimate of nearly 110000 Southdown sheep in Sussex and their wool quality came in second to that only of the Hereford sheep breed.

The breed was standardized around 1780 by John Ellman who realized the breed potential and set out to increase the quality of the breed.

The Southdown sheep breed was found in great numbers in the South Downs near Lewes from around the 19th to the early 20th century. The breed were found in large concentrations on downland farms was for their primary role in maintaining the soil fertility of the area.

The First World War saw the decline of the Southdown sheep breed quite rapidly and by 1922 the Southdown flock sizes had shrunk around 245 registered pedigree flocks.
Along with the ever-popular growing requirement for artificial fertilizer the keeping of the breed for this purpose was no longer a requirement or financially viable.

The Southdown sheep were placed on the Rare Survival Breeds Trust watch list. They are also listed on the American Livestock Conservancy list as “threatened”.