82:
128:
22:
179:
Head and Neck: Head, short, broad between the ears and eyes, bold and masculine in rams, without horns; straight or slightly dished face, broad muzzle, masculine on rams, feminine on ewes; white dense wool well covering the whole poll and cheeks and jaw; eyes bright and alert; colour of face and ears
161:
General
Appearance: Alert, attractive, indicating breeding and quality, with stylish carriage and a symmetrical form, showing the true characteristics of the Shropshire, covered with fine, dense wool. Active with a free action. Shoulders blending smoothly into the ribs. A full heart girth, strong and
152:
In the 1990s, Shropshires were found to be the only breed that would not nibble on conifers or bite off the bark of fruit trees, making them especially popular with
Christmas tree farmers. Not only do they keep the grass short, making herbicides unnecessary, but their droppings turned out to be good
140:
By the 1930s the
Shropshire had been dubbed "the farm flock favorite" in the United States; but in the 1940s, US breeders began producing Shropshires with more wool cover and decreased size. This led to the breed having increased wool cover around the eyes, thus needing to be trimmed around the eyes
175:
Body: Well fleshed, long, deep and symmetrical. Well proportioned, with shoulders strong, smooth and blending well into body, well placed, fitting smoothly upon chest, which should be deep and wide; forearm well muscled; long, broad, straight level back; well sprung ribs; thick, wide and long loins
97:
as being a distinct breed. The popularity of the
Shropshire breed grew rapidly in England, and in 1882 Shropshire breeders founded the Shropshire Sheep Breeders' Association and Flock Book Society, the world's first such society for sheep. The same year the Society published the first Flock Book, a
144:
In the 1950s, some
Shropshire breeders began going back to the original traits that made the breed so popular. They imported some select open-faced Shropshire rams from England with larger size, which helped once again to produce a breed of sheep with medium size and good wool and meat production.
190:
Objections: Animals otherwise good, undersized, oversized; long legs; long neck; narrow bodies; dark fibre in wool, dark skins, white specks on ears, face and legs; horns or horn stubs on rams; lack of wool covering on cap or underneath body, face and legs; skin folds in neck area; long, large or
148:
Despite its popularity in the early 1900s, today the traditional
Shropshire sheep is considered a rare breed in most countries. However, the modern Shropshire is rising in popularity as a show sheep, especially in the Midwestern US. Its gentle nature and medium size make it very popular with 4-H
149:
exhibitors. The mature weights for modern
Shropshire rams are between 225 and 250 pounds and between 150 and 180 pounds for the females. The long-legged, long-necked modern American Shropshire bears little resemblance to the breed type and character of the heritage-type Shropshire sheep.
141:
for better sight. This hindrance and overall loss of size led to the numbers of the breed decreasing among
American farmers. They were no longer the most popular breed of sheep, and became increasingly rare around the world, even in their homeland.
171:
Fleece: Of good length, dense, elastic to touch, medium fine, free from black fibre, well crimped, with evenness of texture throughout; scrotum of rams well covered with wool. The skin of a light cherry colour, clear and free from dark spots.
186:
Legs and Feet: Legs strong, short, straight, well wooled and well set apart; colour of hair on legs dark chocolate brown, and colour of wool on legs white; feet sound, short in the hoof, and set squarely under the sheep.
183:
Ears: Short, alert and well set, not upright but perpendicular to head, moderate thickness, colour same as face and legs, cinnamon to dark brown or soft black. Rounded tips, wool covering outside ear.
176:
well covered with firm flesh; hips wide and smooth. Rump long, hind quarters well developed, long and wide with dock well set on and twist deep and full, legs of mutton full, deep and well-muscled.
101:
By 1884 more
Shropshires were exhibited at the local shows than all other breeds combined. The first documented flock in the United States (one ram and twenty ewes) was brought to
309:
124:
In 1884 the
American Shropshire Registry was formed and by the turn of the 20th century the Shropshire was the most numerous breed of sheep in the United States.
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dark brown, grey nose hairs permissible. Neck short, strong and muscular (especially in rams), symmetrically blending head and shoulders in graceful outlines..
81:
1428:
1423:
168:
Size: Medium-sized; in breeding condition when fully matured, rams should weigh 180 to 240 lbs, and ewes should be 140 to 200 lbs. Fleece and Skin:
191:
drooping ears, thick skinned or coarse; coarse or Roman nose; jet-black face and leg colour; black armpit; lack of wool below hocks and knees.
45:, during the 1840s. The breeders in the area used the local horned black-faced sheep and crossed them with a few breeds of white-faced sheep (
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94:
208:
109:. Thousands of Shropshires were exported to the United States after that, as well as to other parts of the English speaking world, notably
624:
295:
165:
Constitution: Robust as indicated by width and depth of chest, strength and formation of neck, and by bold active movement.
121:. The breed's adaptability to most environments and their dual-purpose nature led to them quickly becoming a popular breed.
704:
629:
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The Shropshire became an increasing popular breed among farmers with their ability to adapt to varying environments.
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216:
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record of sheep bred and their breeders. The Society still survives, and still publishes a Flock Book annually.
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814:
570:
38:
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318:
110:
57:). This produced a medium-sized polled (hornless) sheep that produced good
1293:
744:
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519:
102:
66:
1220:
1208:
819:
42:
1253:
335:
282:
279:
Dale E. Blackburn - Executive Secretary, PO Box 635 Harvard, IL 60033
25:
Modern American Yearling Shropshire ewes shorn for showing at a fair
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80:
1323:
1135:
779:
58:
1206:
1133:
974:
604:
333:
291:
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and meat. In 1855 the first Shropshires were imported into the
976:
276:
271:
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The original 1929 heritage Shropshire Breed Description
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1375:
1322:
1219:
1063:
987:
934:
888:
617:
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538:
477:
439:
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93:In 1859 the breed was officially recognized by the
131:4-H Shropshire sheep, recently shorn. Circa 1940s
249:. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System
303:
8:
277:The American Shropshire Registry Association
162:straight back with adequate body capacity.
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283:UK Shropshire Sheep Breeders' Association
219:, Dept. of Animal Science. Archived from
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20:
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69:). This breed is raised primarily for
7:
1429:Animal breeds on the RBST Watchlist
1424:Sheep breeds originating in England
14:
1:
37:originated from the hills of
705:Devon and Cornwall Longwool
243:"Shropshire/United Kingdom"
41:, and North Staffordshire,
1445:
625:Badger Face Welsh Mountain
95:Royal Agricultural Society
1284:Old English Pheasant Fowl
1215:
1202:
1146:
1142:
1129:
1020:Gloucestershire Old Spots
983:
970:
613:
600:
342:
329:
217:Oklahoma State University
153:manure for the saplings.
1113:Yorkshire Blue and White
87:Brett's Colonists' Guide
1098:Lincolnshire Curly Coat
546:Chillingham Wild Cattle
1040:Oxford Sandy and Black
660:Brecknock Hill Cheviot
132:
90:
26:
795:North Country Cheviot
630:Balwen Welsh Mountain
130:
84:
24:
695:Derbyshire Gritstone
640:Black Welsh Mountain
635:Beulah Speckled Face
1088:Irish Greyhound Pig
875:Whitefaced Woodland
645:Bluefaced Leicester
530:Whitebred Shorthorn
213:Breeds of Livestock
1093:Large White Ulster
1010:British Saddleback
870:Whiteface Dartmoor
825:Scottish Blackface
760:Leicester Longwool
209:"Shropshire Sheep"
133:
91:
27:
1406:
1405:
1402:
1401:
1398:
1397:
1234:Derbyshire Redcap
1198:
1197:
1194:
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1171:British Primitive
1125:
1124:
1121:
1120:
1055:Wessex Saddleback
966:
965:
962:
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901:Castlemilk Moorit
735:Greyface Dartmoor
665:British Milksheep
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595:
592:
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1436:
1362:Silver Appleyard
1279:Old English Game
1217:
1204:
1144:
1131:
1000:British Landrace
985:
972:
949:Scottish Dunface
655:Border Leicester
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602:
386:English Longhorn
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272:Shropshire Sheep
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247:Breed Data Sheet
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1434:
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1394:
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1367:Welsh Harlequin
1318:
1264:Modern Langshan
1211:
1190:
1176:Golden Guernsey
1138:
1117:
1078:Dorset Gold Tip
1059:
979:
958:
930:
921:North Ronaldsay
884:
700:Devon Closewool
609:
588:
565:
534:
473:
454:Dairy Shorthorn
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366:Belted Galloway
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223:on 3 April 2009
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5:
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1373:
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1347:Khaki Campbell
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1334:
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1320:
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1317:
1316:
1311:
1306:
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1296:
1291:
1286:
1281:
1276:
1271:
1266:
1261:
1256:
1251:
1246:
1241:
1236:
1231:
1229:Croad Langshan
1225:
1223:
1213:
1212:
1207:
1200:
1199:
1196:
1195:
1192:
1191:
1189:
1188:
1183:
1178:
1173:
1168:
1166:British Alpine
1163:
1158:
1153:
1147:
1140:
1139:
1134:
1127:
1126:
1123:
1122:
1119:
1118:
1116:
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1110:
1105:
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1095:
1090:
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1075:
1069:
1067:
1061:
1060:
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1057:
1052:
1047:
1042:
1037:
1032:
1027:
1022:
1017:
1012:
1007:
1002:
997:
991:
989:
981:
980:
975:
968:
967:
964:
963:
960:
959:
957:
956:
951:
946:
944:Devon Longwool
940:
938:
932:
931:
929:
928:
923:
918:
913:
908:
903:
898:
892:
890:
886:
885:
883:
882:
880:Wiltshire Horn
877:
872:
867:
862:
860:Welsh Mountain
857:
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847:
842:
837:
832:
827:
822:
817:
812:
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802:
797:
792:
787:
782:
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747:
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740:Hampshire Down
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717:
712:
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702:
697:
692:
687:
682:
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672:
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662:
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650:Border Cheviot
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621:
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581:
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510:Old Gloucester
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361:Beef Shorthorn
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321:breeds of the
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266:External links
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35:domestic sheep
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119:South America
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107:Samuel Sutton
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63:United States
60:
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36:
32:
23:
19:
1419:Sheep breeds
1274:Norfolk Grey
1151:Anglo-Nubian
1035:Middle White
834:
790:Norfolk Horn
500:Irish Moiled
478:Dual purpose
441:Dairy cattle
251:. Retrieved
246:
237:
225:. Retrieved
221:the original
212:
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30:
28:
18:
1385:Brecon Buff
1299:Scots Dumpy
1259:Modern Game
1249:Indian Game
1108:Small White
1103:Small Black
1030:Large White
1025:Large Black
1005:British Lop
954:South Devon
865:Wensleydale
800:Oxford Down
750:Hill Radnor
725:Exmoor Horn
715:Dorset Horn
710:Dorset Down
680:Clun Forest
584:Blue Albion
551:Tory Island
431:Welsh Black
421:South Devon
406:Lincoln Red
348:Beef cattle
253:8 September
115:New Zealand
105:in 1860 by
1413:Categories
1304:Scots Grey
1073:Cumberland
835:Shropshire
815:Rough Fell
755:Kerry Hill
561:White Park
195:References
39:Shropshire
31:Shropshire
1342:Orpington
1337:Aylesbury
1289:Orpington
995:Berkshire
906:Hebridean
889:Primitive
855:Teeswater
850:Swaledale
840:Southdown
770:Llanwenog
690:Dalesbred
670:Cambridge
539:Primitive
505:Glamorgan
495:Droimeann
416:Shorthorn
371:Blue Grey
319:Livestock
117:, and to
111:Australia
55:Leicester
47:Southdown
33:breed of
1390:Shetland
1357:Shetland
1309:Sebright
1294:Rosecomb
1221:Chickens
1161:Bilberry
1045:Tamworth
830:Shetland
805:Portland
745:Herdwick
720:Easycare
685:Cotswold
579:Alderney
525:Shetland
520:Red Poll
515:Pembroke
459:Guernsey
449:Ayrshire
401:Highland
396:Hereford
391:Galloway
103:Maryland
67:Virginia
51:Cotswold
1244:Ixworth
1239:Dorking
1209:Poultry
1065:Extinct
936:Extinct
896:Boreray
845:Suffolk
820:Ryeland
765:Lincoln
675:Cheviot
571:Extinct
227:7 April
43:England
1352:Magpie
1314:Sussex
1254:Legbar
988:Extant
810:Romney
785:Masham
730:Galway
618:Extant
556:Vaynol
485:Albion
464:Jersey
426:Sussex
381:Dexter
336:Cattle
89:(1883)
53:, and
1377:Geese
1324:Ducks
1186:Pygmy
1181:Irish
1156:Bagot
1136:Goats
1083:Grice
1050:Welsh
1015:Essex
911:Jacob
775:Lleyn
607:Sheep
469:Kerry
411:Luing
376:Devon
136:1900s
77:1800s
977:Pigs
926:Soay
780:Lonk
255:2009
229:2009
113:and
71:meat
59:wool
29:The
85:In
1415::
245:.
215:.
211:.
73:.
49:,
311:e
304:t
297:v
257:.
231:.
65:(
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