Cotswold Sheep

Cotswold Sheep

Cotswold sheep are very cool. They are uniquely designed to survive on minimal food, have gentle personalities, and have large lambs easily. History can easily trace them to the Romans, who brought them to Britain, and it has been suggested by some archiologists that the Golden Fleece of Greek Mythology was a fleece spun with gold from some of the ancestors of the Cotswold breed. Cotswolds, after having been transported to England, became the main breed, and were used to create some breeds we see today, such as the Lincoln, Hampshire, and Border Leicester breeds.

Cotswold sheep are dual purpose. They can just as easily be used for their wool as they can their meat. Cotswold meat is tender, and lacks the 'gamey' flavor that most other sheep meat has. Cotswold wool is long and hangs in spiral locks, and is classified as medium on the soft to rough scale. Cotswolds, because of their ability to survive in areas with lower quality feed and grass, were used in the west for a long time, for that and for their easy lambing traits.

Cotswold sheep are larger size, with rams from 250 to 350 pounds mature, and ewes 200 to 300 pounds mature. Cotswold lambs grow slowly though, hitting full size between 1 and 1/2 and 2 years of age. For more information about Cotswolds or if you are interested in buying one, go to: www.pullenfarms.com.