About Wiltshire Sheep

Characteristics of our Wiltshire Sheep

Wiltshire sheep are a large white faced sheep that shed their wool naturally in the spring.

They have no wool on their heads, bellies, legs, and around the perineal region. All these regions are covered in short white hair.

The underside of the tail is bare skin.

The Wiltshires have high fertility. Twins are normal.

The ewes are excellent mothers.

Strickland Wiltshires are polled.

They are a free moving active sheep.

Lambs have good growth rates.

Our lambs shed all their lambs fleece by the end of their first summer.

History of the Wiltshire Sheep

The Wiltshire Sheep Breed can be documented as far back to the 18th century in Britain. Here Wiltshire sheep were the predominant type of sheep farmed on the Wiltshire Downs. There is archaeological evidence that the Roman settlements in this region farmed a similar type of sheep. Earlier archaeological evidence tells us the first domesticated sheep were in Britain about 3000BC.

Today the low wool prices and high labor costs have made the Wiltshire sheep a viable alternative sheep breed in New Zealand.

Our Wiltshire Flock

We have been breeding Wiltshires since 1988.

Our flock is  polled.

We have a flock of 600 mature breeding ewes.

The flock ewes are all 100% shedders.

We do not dock any of our stock.

Our Wiltshire sheep do not have any dag or fly problems.

Through recording we select our sheep on sound commercial criteria - good feet, good mouths, good conformation, high fertility and early shedding.

Our lambs shed all their lambs fleece by the end of their first summer.

All lambs for sale are 100% shed.