North Ronaldsay sheep are mainly raised for meat and wool. The breed is originated from North Ronaldsay, the northernmost island of Orkney, Scotland. One of the Northern European short-tailed sheep groups of breeds. Survive on a diet of seaweed rather than grass and other plants.
North Ronaldsay sheep breed information
North Ronaldsay a small-sized breed that comes in a range of colors like brown, grey and red.
North Ronaldsay sheep are semi-feral, they roam freely but tend to keep to their own patch.
The adult North Ronaldsay ram weighs 30 kg (66 lb) and ewe weighs 25 kg (55 lb).
Rams have spiral horns and ewes are polled(sometimes horned).
The height of the sheep is around 41 cm at withers.
The sheep are slow-growing and a full-size carcass may weigh only 13.6 kilograms (30 lb).
The meat of North Ronaldsay is salty and intense as they are mostly on a seaweed diet. (iodine-rich diet)
The fleece weight of 1 kg, which is a double-coated breed. The undercoat is soft and the outer one is coarser.
Things to know
The registered numbers of North Ronaldsay sheep are around 600, so the Rare Breeds Survival Trust lists the breed as “vulnerable“
The sheep are not allowed in-land, a tall drystane dyke which is confined to the shoreline at a height of 6 ft is around the Island. The sheep are only of a seaweed diet.
To reduce the chance of being stranded by an incoming tide, they graze at low tide and then ruminate at high tide.
According to wiki “The meat has Protected Geographical Status in European Union law, so only meat from North Ronaldsay sheep can be marketed as Orkney Lamb.”
North Ronaldsay sheep characteristics
| Breed Name | North Ronaldsay sheep |
| Other Name | Orkney |
| Country/Place of Origin | Scotland |
| Breed Purposeamerica | wool and meat |
| Breed Size | small |
| Weight Ram(Male) | 30 kg (66 lb) |
| Ewe(Female) | 25 kg (55 lb) |
| Kidding | single |
| Good for Stall Fed | open grazing |
| Climate Tolerance | local conditions |
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