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Friday, October 27, 2017
 
 
@ Your VisitMeet Our AnimalsMammalsCotswold Sheep
 


COTSWOLD SHEEP


There are more than 200 breeds of domestic sheep currently in existence. All of these were developed from the wild sheep of Europe and Asia. Although their exact ancestry is unclear, it is thought that domestic sheep descended primarily from two wild stocks; the Moufflons, Ovis musimon and Ovis orientalis, and the Asiatic Urial, Ovis vignei.


 


The Cotswold Sheep is usually white, though black specimens have been recorded. Called “Gentle Giants”, they are one of the largest sheep breeds, with rams (males) averaging around 300 pounds and ewes (females) weighing up to 200 pounds. They are noted for their long, coarse fleece of naturally wavy curls and the tuft of longer wool on their foreheads. Ewes are considered to be excellent mothers, and all Cotswolds are good foragers for food.







 

~ WNC Nature Center ~ 75 Gashes Creek Road ~ Asheville ~ NC 28805 ~
Phone (828) 259-8080

 

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