The Drysdale is a New Zealand
breed of
sheep. It was developed from 1931 by
Francis Dry, and derives from sheep of the
New Zealand Romney breed in which a
mutation caused the coat to be particularly hairy, and thus suitable for
carpet-making.[5]: xl It is a specialised
carpet wool breed, but also a useful meat breed.[4]: 31
History
Francis Dry in 1931 noticed a genetic freak, a
Romney ram with a high percentage of very coarse wool. Crossing two Romneys and
Cheviots resulted in a sheep with a lot of coarse fleece which is about 6 kg (13 lb) with a 40
microns[6] fibre diameter[7] and a staple of 200 to 300 mm (7.9 to 11.8 in). The coarse wool gene causes both male and female Drysdales to be horned. The male's horn resembles a Wiltshire ram's horn whereas the ewe's horns are very small - usually only 8 to 9 cm (3.1 to 3.5 in) in length. Live weight is 60–70 kg.
Characteristics
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Use
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