New Zealand Introduced Animals > Stropshire Sheep

Stropshire Sheep

Domesticated Livestock – Rare Breed

ORIGIN: Shropshire, Western England.

BREED DESCRIPTION: A polled (hornless), medium-sized sheep with a soft black face and legs, and a distinctive white-woolly poll and cheeks. A dual-purpose breed producing both excellent mutton and a good quality fleece.

USE IN NEW ZEALAND: Preservation of the breed, meat and wool.

GENERAL: The Shropshire was introduced into New Zealand in 1864. Numbers were increased rapidly with the advent of refrigerated shipping in the 1880’s. The Shropshire produced excellent ‘fat lambs’ as required at that period. It also had a better fleece than the Downs-type meat breeds. Despite the versatility of the breed, it has declined markedly in numbers and today Shropshire are one of the rarest breeds in the country.


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