Portland

The Portland, once common in Dorset, is now one of England's rarest breeds. It is most likely that the Portland is all that is left of the Western Tanfaced horn, common in the Southwest during the Middle Ages.The Portland was one of the breeds used in the development of the Dorset breed. Portlands are small. They are free of wool on the face and lower legs, which are tan.

The lambs are born fox red in color and lighten to either white or gray during the first few months of life. Both sexes are horned, with the ram's horns having a heavy spiral. This breed will sometimes breed out of season. In fact, it was the first breed of sheep in Britain able to have lambs at any time of the year.

Breed category: medium wool, rare / Distribution: United Kingdom