Use : Today ’s American Cheviots are dual - purpose sheep predominately raised for red-hot , mild - try lamb . They also produce white woolen known for its low lubricating oil content , density , crimp , and staple duration ( Harris tweed were traditionally woven using Cheviot fleece ) . Ewes average an eight to ten pound clip of fiber measuring 27 to 33 micron in diam and a four to five inch staple fibre .
story : Cheviot sheep ( also known as Border Cheviots ) originated in the windswept Cheviot Hills straddle the border between Scotland and Northumberland in England . As early as 1372 , the wee , dun - faced ancestors of today ’s Cheviots roamed these cutting , open pitcher’s mound . in the first place called ‘ Long sheep ’ ( a name used since at least 1470 ) or ‘ blanched sheep ’ ( in contrast to the Scottish Blackface ) , Cheviots were a pile breed of extreme validity that reliably produced meat and woollen in the cold , wet , Benny Hill country . By 1791 , Sir John Sinclair , then President of the British Board of Agriculture , say , “ The Highlands of Scotland of Scotland , if covered with the coarse wool breed of sheep , their woolen might be deserving 300,000 pounds of sterling , whereas , if the same ground were cover by the Cheviot , the unfeigned mountain strain , it would be worth at least 900,000 pounds sterling of fine fleece ” ; he like them so well , in fact , that he sent a flock of 500 Cheviots to Caithness and Sutherland in northerly Scotland , where , crossed with Border and Longwool Leicesters , they evolved into today ’s North Country Cheviot sheep ( www.northcountrycheviot.com ) . Irish Wicklow Cheviots ( www.wicklowsheep.ie ) came about when native Wicklow Mountain sheep were crossed with Cheviots from Scotland ; in Wales , Brecknock Hill Cheviots develop in the same manner . Cheviots came to America as early as the 1840 ’s . In 1924 , enthusiast formed the American Cheviot Sheep Society and subsequently developed a longer - legged , meatier Cheviot for today ’s market . However , the old - style Cheviot still persists in Great Britain and in the American Miniature Cheviot sheep .
Conformation : innovative American Cheviots are intermediate - size sheep . Ewes weigh between 130 and 170 pound ; ram go 160 to 200 pounds . They are white - faced , polled ( hornless ) sheep with wool - free faces and legs ; passably Roman - nosed ( convex ) profiles ; pricked , horse - comparable capitulum ; and black noses and feet . Their small head make lambing a duck soup ; ewes are fertile and milky . Like most other British hill breed , they are easy keepers and very long - lived .
Special Considerations / Notes : Hardy and productive Cheviots are active , spry , well-informed sheep and they do n’t display strong flocking inherent aptitude . In addition to being outstanding producer of prime lamb , Cheviots are idealistic for advance herd dog training determination and they work unco well in hobby farm situations where a friendly , furrowed , dual - purpose fleece and kernel breed is desired .
