Southdown Sheep

      If you pick up any historical publication on sheep you will find the Southdown (originally South Down from its area of origin) discussed in detail. This small, stocky mouse-brown faced downland sheep has been of tremendous importance both in Britain and New Zealand – not only as a producer of the very best fat lambs but also as a progenitor of many other sheep breeds.

Original type of Southdown ram

      Southdowns, as a breed, have been around since at least the sixteen hundreds – and probably much earlier – in their native Weald of Sussex. Their development into a premier British breed was carried out by John Ellman of Glynde, starting in 1780.

      Southdowns first entered New Zealand in the early 1840s, the most typical of Down breeds, with short fleeces, brownish faces and legs, long backs, and extremely well-developed and meaty hind-quarters. Animals matured very early. With the commencement of the refrigerated lamb trade, the Southdown became almost completely dominant as a fat lamb sire.

Modern Southdowns in New Zealand (Photo from Euan & Karen Mclachlan)

      In recent decades, however, consumers both here and abroad have become very health conscious, and preferences have swung away from this plump little animal to leaner-carcassed breeds. As a result, the Southdown is classified today as a Rare Breed in its British homeland and is considerably reduced in numbers in New Zealand – although there have been some breeding efforts aimed at producing a Southdown line which combines the fast-maturing qualities of the original breed in an animal with a much lower fat content in its meat (as in the photograph at right).

      The Southdown is still an easy-care, versatile breed with a good lambing rate and is well worth conserving as one of New Zealand's most historically significant sheep imports.