Southdown Lambs

Appearance: Smaller than some of the other downland breeds found in the UK, the Southdown has fine textured white wool over its face, small ears and short legs. It is well fleshed with a wide back.

History: The breed was established in the South Downs of Southern England before the 17^th century but developed into the sheep we recognise today in the 18^th century. It is claimed to be the oldest terminal sire breed in the UK playing a part in the development of other terminal sire breeds worldwide. The Southdown Sheep Society was established in 1893.

Geography: South East England continues to be the heartland for this breed, although it is also found in other parts of the UK, as well as France, Australia, New Zealand and America.

Breed attributes: The Southdown is used to produce quality lambs for the food chain, be they crossbred or pure. It has seen a revival in the early 21^st century due to the focus of breeders on maximising its commercial attributes.

Commercial desirability: The Southdown Sheep Society says the females as easy-to-lamb, docile and suitable for a range of farming systems, while their offspring are easy to take through to a size and conformation suitable for the commercial marketplace. 

More information is available on the Southdown Sheep Society website.

Please note: When our pure Southdown lambs are not readily available, we will occasionally use locally sourced Southdown/Texel crossbreed lambs.