Badger Face Torwen A Welsh mountain sheep breed facing decline has been added to a rare breed watchlist. Numbers of the Badger Face Torwen have declined nearly 30 per cent since 2013 and has now been added to the Rare Breeds Survival Trust’s (RBST) watchlist. The watchlist indexes the UK’s rarest native livestock and equine breeds, and RBST will work in partnership with the Badger Face Welsh Mountain Sheep Society to increase Torwen breeding numbers, prevent inbreeding, and safeguard the breed’s future. Torwen sheep have a black face with white facial markings, and a black fleece with a white belly (Torwen means ‘white belly’).
Welsh Mountain sheep breed added to survival watchlist
12 March 2021 |
by FarmingUK Team | News, Sheep
Just 491 Badger Face Torwen breeding females were registered in 2019, down from 681 in 2013
A Welsh Mountain sheep breed whose numbers have declined nearly 30 percent since 2013 has been added to a breed survival watchlist.
The rare Badger Face Torwen will now benefit from focused support to help the breed’s revival.
Torwens, which means white belly , have a black face with white facial markings, and a black fleece with a white belly.
Their legs are tan with a black stripe, the underside of their tail is white and the rams have dark spiralled horns.
The rare badger face Torwen, a Welsh mountain sheep breed whose numbers have declined nearly 30 per cent since 2013, has been added to the Rare Breeds Survival Trust’s watchlist. The watchlist indexes the UK’s rarest native livestock and equine breeds, and the Torwen’s addition means the breed will now benefit from focused RBST support to help the its revival. Torwen sheep have a black face with white facial markings, and a black fleece with a white belly (Torwen means ‘white belly’). Their legs are tan with a black stripe, the underside of their tail is white and the rams have dark spiralled horns. Their markings are the reverse of the badger face Torddu breed. The badger face sheep’s historic name, defaid Idloes, suggests links to a 7th century figure, Saint Idloes of mid Wales.