Cambridge (sheep)

Cambridge
	Ewe with Texel-cross lambs
Conservation status	FAO (2007): endangered; DAD-IS (2021): critical;
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Distribution	England; Wales;
Use	meat
Traits
Weight	Male: average 90 kg; Female: average 70 kg;
Height	Male: average 72 cm; Female: average 66 cm;
Wool colour	uni-coloured brown
Face colour	brown
Horn status	polled (hornless)
	Sheep; Ovis aries;

The Cambridge is a modern British breed of domestic sheep.^[3]^: 774 It was bred at the University of Cambridge by John Owen and Alun Davies between about 1964 and 1979, with the aim of increasing prolificacy.^[2]^[3]^: 774^[4]^: 638 It is among the most prolific of all sheep breeds, but is critically endangered.^[2]^[4]^: 638

History

The Cambridge was bred at the University of Cambridge by John Owen and Alun Davies between about 1964 and 1979, with the specific aim of increasing prolificacy. Ewes of a variety of British breeds were put to Finnsheep rams. These ewes were mostly of the Clun Forest breed, but Border Leicester, Hill Radnor, Kerry Hill, Llanwenog, Lleyn and Ryeland stock was also used.^[3]^: 774A flock-book was started in 1969, and by 1979 the breed was established.^[2]

Characteristics

The Cambridge is a polled sheep of medium to large size.^[3]^: 774 It is uniformly brown, with a brown face.^[2] It is a short-wool breed; fleeces weigh some 2.5 kg, with a staple length of about 100 mm.^[3]^: 774

Ewes of the breed are among the most prolific of any breed of sheep, with average litter sizes for one-, two- and three-year-old ewes of 1.7, 2.5 and 2.9 respectively.^[4]^: 638

References

^ Barbara Rischkowsky, Dafydd Pilling (editors) (2007). List of breeds documented in the Global Databank for Animal Genetic Resources, annex to The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Rome: Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. ISBN 9789251057629. Archived 23 June 2020.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Breed data sheet: Cambridge / United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (Sheep). Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed June 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Valerie Porter, Lawrence Alderson, Stephen J.G. Hall, D. Phillip Sponenberg (2016). Mason's World Encyclopedia of Livestock Breeds and Breeding (sixth edition). Wallingford: CABI. ISBN 9781780647944.
^ ^a ^b ^c Edward Boden (editor) (2009). Black's Veterinary Dictionary. London: Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9781408104187.

J.B. Owen, Sarah R.E. Crees, Janet C. Williams, D.A.R. Davies (1986). Prolificacy and 50-day lamb weight of ewes in the Cambridge sheep breed. Animal Science. 42 (3): 355–363. doi:10.1017/S0003356100018134.
J.B. Owen, I. Ap Dewi (1988). The Cambridge sheep — its exploitation for increased efficiency of lamb production. Agricultural and Food Science. 60 (6): 585–590. doi:10.23986/afsci.72316.
J.B. Owen, C.J. Whitaker, R.F.E. Axford, I. Ap Dewi (1990). Expected consequences of the segregation of a major gene in a sheep population in relation to observations on the ovulation rate of a flock of Cambridge sheep. Animal Science. 51 (2): 277–282. doi:10.1017/S0003356100005420.
I. Ap Dewi, J.B. Owen, A. El-Sheikh, R.F.E. Axford, M. Beigi-Nassiri (1996). Variation in Ovulation Rate and Litter Size of Cambridge Sheep. Animal Science 62 (3): 489–495. doi:10.1017/S1357729800015022.
J.B. Owen (1996). The Cambridge breed. In: Mohamed H. Fahmy (editor) (1996). Prolific Sheep. Wallingford: CAB International. ISBN 9780851989839, pages 161–173.

[barb-1] Barbara Rischkowsky, Dafydd Pilling (editors) (2007). List of breeds documented in the Global Databank for Animal Genetic Resources, annex to The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Rome: Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. ISBN 9789251057629. Archived 23 June 2020.

[dad-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Breed data sheet: Cambridge / United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (Sheep). Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed June 2021.

[cabi-3] Valerie Porter, Lawrence Alderson, Stephen J.G. Hall, D. Phillip Sponenberg (2016). Mason's World Encyclopedia of Livestock Breeds and Breeding (sixth edition). Wallingford: CABI. ISBN 9781780647944.

[black-4] Edward Boden (editor) (2009). Black's Veterinary Dictionary. London: Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9781408104187.

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Cambridge (sheep)

History

Characteristics

References

Further reading