Ryeland

Ryelands are a white-faced, polled (no horns), small to medium sized, down-type breed whose antecedents were developed by monks at Leominster in the rye growing district of Herefordshire, England, in the 15th Century. It was one of the breeds used to introduce the poll gene to the Dorset breed in the development of the Poll Dorset. The Ryeland breed first came to New Zealand in 1903 and later to Australia.

Initially a dual purpose sheep, the breed was, in latter years, used mainly as a terminal sire. There has been a recent upsurge in interest in the Ryeland as a breed ideally suited for small farmers who want the truly all-purpose type of sheep; not too big to handle safely, docile, fertile, thrifty, and capable of providing both fine wool for hand-spinning and high quality meat for the table.

Breed category: medium wool, meat / Distribution: United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand