Derbyshire Gritstone raised primarily for meat. The oldest breed of the United Kingdom. Gritstone is the most economical sheep on high ground.
Derbyshire Gritstone breed information
The legs are black and white also they are free from wool.
Even the face has black and white markings.
Both sexes are polled.
The body is wooled and the fleece is uniform and dense.
Gritstone is the most disease resistant and strong breed.
Ewes have good mothering qualities and good milk flow.
The rapid growth of lambs and high survival characteristics makes the breed most liked.
The ewes are only mated when they reach 63 kg of weight.
They thrive well even in the hill, the at 16 weeks on the hill they produce 18 kg of dressed meat and on the grazing low lands in 10 weeks they give 22 kg of dressed meat.
The meat is lean of prime quality mutton and also has a long shelf life.
Gritstone grows quickly and matures early to the good carcass of live weight 40 kg in 70 to 100 days.
Lambing percentage of 145 percent.
The Derbyshire Gritstone can be used for hosiery, Worsted yarns, and knitwear where most of the other hill breed wool are used to produce carpets.
Things to know
The Derbyshire Gritstone Sheepbreeders Society (DGSS) was formed in 1906.
Brief characteristics of Derbyshire Gritstone
| Breed Name | Derbyshire Gritstone | |
| Other Name | ||
| Country/Place of Origin | England | |
| Breed Purpose | wool and meat | |
| Breed Size | medium | |
| Weight Ram(Male) | 90 kg(200 lb) | |
| Ewe(Female) | 70 kg(160 lb) | |
| Kidding | single or twins | |
| Good for Stall Fed | open grazing | |
| Climate Tolerance | local conditions |
Hello, I am Siddartha Reddy . A fulltime farmer and blogger who love to share all his farming experiences. Also, a strong supporter of sustainable farming practices. Thanks for visiting our site, let’s make this world a better place to live. Say No to Chemicals and plastics.
