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THE KERRY HILL (WALES). 



The Kerry Hill breed derives its name from the Kerry Hills iu 

 Montgomeryshire, although flocks exist in Radnor, Hereford, 

 Salop, Worcester, Denbigh, Brecon and Cheshire. The foundation 

 stock of the Kerry Hill breed was described in the Agricultural 

 Survey of Wales 100 years ago as the only sheep which produces 

 true wool, that of: every other Welsh breed being more or less 

 mixed with kemp. 



About 1840 these sheep were larger and heavier-woolled than the 

 pure Welsh sheep, had nice heads, with white faces and legs, but in 

 many cases speckled with small black spots ; or they had self- 

 coloured tan-faces, with legs to match, fine wool on the body but 

 very coarse below. For many years progressive farmers bought 

 rams at Knighton fair ; these were Clun Forest sheep with the 

 slightest possible amount of cross, and that only with the 

 Shropshire. Under this system the Kerry Hill took about 25 

 years to evolve, and in turn was drawn upon for the regenera- 

 tion of the Radnor breed. For the last 50 years little foreign 

 blood has been introduced and improvement has been effected 

 by selection. 



Distinctive Characteristics of the Breed. The face, ears and legs 

 are speckled black and white, the black being not pure but more 

 of a dark grey. The head is covered with wool between the 

 ears and on the jaws ; and a bunch or tuft of wool appears on 

 the forehead. Generally the sheep are hornless, but small horns 

 in rams are common though they are regarded as objectionable. 

 The tail is long, large and fleshy, with plenty of wool right to 

 the tip. 



The fleece from ewes and wethers varies from about 4 Ib. 

 to 8 Ib. and in the best flocks the wool is almost equal in 

 value to that of Shropshires. The average fleece however has 

 a little kemp in the breech and fetches less than Shropshire 

 wool. 



The Kerry Hill sheep of the present day cannot be regarded as a 

 purely mountain sheep, but it certainly inherits much of the hardi- 

 ness and quality of flesh of its hill ancestors and combines them 

 with size and weight not inferior to that of some purely Lowland 

 breeds. 



The ewes are easily kept, are good mothers and the drafts are in 

 great favour in many of the grazing districts of England for 

 producing fat lambs. Kerry Hill rams are also used to a consider- 

 able extent for crossing with Welsh Mountain ewes for the same 

 purpose. 



The present Flock Book Society was established and the first 

 volume of the Flock Book published in 1899. Since then the 

 breed has been developed to a great extent and extensive exporta- 

 tions of breeding stock have been made to both Africa and 

 America. * 



The full designation Kerry Hill (Wales) was adopted in order to 

 prevent confusion with Kerry, Ireland. 



