Boreray sheep

Boreray

A Boreray ram.
Conservation status	Critical
Country of origin	Scotland
Distribution	Scotland
Use	Conservation Grazing, Meat, Wool
Traits
Weight	Male: 45kg
	Female: 30kg
Height	Male: 55cm
	Female: 55cm
Horn status	Horned
Sheep Ovis aries

Tweed, an end product manufactured from the Boreray's wool.

The Boreray is a breed of sheep originating on the St Kilda archipelago off the west coast of Scotland and surviving as a feral animal on one of the islands, Boreray.

The breed, also known as the Boreray Blackface or Hebridean Blackface, was once raised for meat and wool, but is now used mainly for conservation grazing. The Boreray is one of the Northern European short-tailed sheep group of breeds.

It is the rarest breed of sheep in the United Kingdom. It is the only breed classed as "Category 2: Endangered" by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, because fewer than 300-500 are known to exist.

History

Until the late eighteenth century, the domesticated sheep throughout the Scottish Highlands and Islands belonged to a type called the Scottish Dunface or Old Scottish Shortwool, which was probably similar to the sheep kept in the whole of northern and western Europe up to the Iron Age. A local variety of Dunface was kept on the two main St Kilda islands of Boreray and Hirta by the crofters of the islands, who lived on Hirta, the largest island of the St Kilda archipelago.

In the mid-eighteenth century the crofters' sheep were described as being "of the smallest kind", with short, coarse wool, and all having horns – usually one pair, but often two pairs. At that time there were about 1,000 of these sheep on Hirta and about 400 on Boreray.

In the late nineteenth century the crofters' sheep were cross-bred with Scottish Blackface sheep, which by then had replaced the Dunface throughout mainland Scotland. The other breeds descended from the Dunface include the North Ronaldsay and the Shetland.

Before the evacuation of the St Kildian inhabitants, these sheep were farmed. However, when the St Kilda archipelago's human inhabitants were evacuated in 1930, the sheep of Hirta were also removed and in 1932 they were replaced by Soays, which still live there as well as on Soay itself. Meanwhile the remaining sheep on Boreray were left to become feral; these became the only survivors of the crofters' sheep, and one of the few surviving descendants of the Dunface. This means that they are the original, unmodified sheep that used to be farmed on the island. In the 1970s half a dozen of them were exported to form the basis of a breeding population on the mainland, but the majority of Borerays still remain on the island.

Characteristics

Two Boreray ewes, one with the less typical darker colouring

Further information: Northern European short-tailed sheep

The Boreray should not be confused with the Soay sheep, also from the St Kilda archipelago, nor with the Hebridean sheep, which was formerly called the "St Kilda", although it is probably not in fact derived from the St Kilda sheep. Soay sheep are smaller than Boreray sheep, their ewes weighing between 20 and 23 kg. Their fleece is normally black, opposed to the white or tan of the Boreray. The Boreray is also known by the names Boreray Blackface and Hebridean Blackface.

Despite being partially derived from a long-tailed breed (the Scottish Blackface), Borerays display characteristics which group them with other northern European short-tailed sheep. They are amongst the smallest sheep in the British Isles, with mature ewes weighing and standing at the withers.

They have naturally short tails, which do not require docking. They also moult their fleece naturally, rather than having to be shorn annually, though older individuals do not moult as easily and may require additional shearing. Fleeces are grey or creamy white on the body, though darker individuals occur whose colouring is similar to the Soay sheep. Rough in quality, the wool is mostly used in the creation of tweeds or carpet yarns. A tweed is a rough surfaced coarse cloth, typically made in Scotland. Its colour is a mix of flecked colours. The face and legs are wool-free and black and white, with the proportions varying between individuals.

Both sexes of the Boreray display horns. The horns on the ewes tend to be less thick than those on the males and while they curve they do not spiral beyond 360 degrees. Mature rams can grow especially large, spiral horns which may be used for crafts such as making shepherd's crooks. The horns on the rams have been described as "striking and majestic" by one farmer of the breed.

Population

In 1999 the population was estimated to be at less than 84, with 74 ewes. In 2002, there were between 92 and 100 animals, with 92 ewes and the male population estimated to be less than 7. In 2012, 204 ewes were registered in herdbooks. According to the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, there are fewer than 300-500 sheep in the UK, so they are classed as "Category 2: Endangered". They are the only breed in this category, and therefore the rarest breed of sheep in the United Kingdom.

Use in Farming

The breed was primarily raised for meat and wool, but due to its rarity it is now raised for conservation purposes, if raised at all, as most of the population is thought to be feral.

Due to the native conditions of where it evolved, the Boreray is very well suited to conservation grazing, which is grazing that uses livestock to improve biodiversity and achieve nature conservation in a given area. However, the Rare Breeds Survival Trust believe that this could be further capitalised on if the breed is developed further.

In Literature

In his book The complete countryman, Alan Titchmarsh says that 'a good many people keep rare breeds, such as the Soay and Boreray... for pets'. This can indicate that the breeds are gaining mainstream acceptance.

See also

• Fauna of Scotland

External links

• Borerays, British Coloured Sheep Breeders Association
• The Sheep of St. Kilda
• The Rare Breeds Survival Trust