Our first Romney ram, Pitchfork 684, "Abraham" (DOB Jan 2012)
Romneys originated in the Romney Marshes of Kent in England. They were bred to thrive in the damp environment of this area. Their outstanding characteristics include hooves that are resistant to foot rot, fleeces that remain healthy in harsh weather, excellent mothering instincts, and the ability to thrive on pasture. They are a dual-purpose breed, being raised both for their fleece and delicate tasting meat.
Romney wool is prized by handspinners for its high luster, soft handle, and ease of spinning. It is one of the finest fleeces of the long wool breeds, noted for its well-defined crimp, lock structure and relatively low grease weight. It is the low grease content of Romney wool that makes it a very light shrinking fleece upon washing, and consequently high yielding The annual staple length (amount of wool growth between shearings) is approximately eight inches. We usually shear when it's around five inches. We raise both white and natural-colored Romneys.
Romney lambs reach market weight (115 – 120 lbs.) at about five months of age. They are very thrifty and do well on pasture. The meat is lean, tender and mild tasting. True to their breeding, Romneys are highly resistant to foot- and wool-rot. They are quite hardy and are noted for their ease of lambing and strong maternal instincts.
We chose the Romney breed for multiple reasons:
Romney wool is prized by handspinners for its high luster, soft handle, and ease of spinning. It is one of the finest fleeces of the long wool breeds, noted for its well-defined crimp, lock structure and relatively low grease weight. It is the low grease content of Romney wool that makes it a very light shrinking fleece upon washing, and consequently high yielding The annual staple length (amount of wool growth between shearings) is approximately eight inches. We usually shear when it's around five inches. We raise both white and natural-colored Romneys.
Romney lambs reach market weight (115 – 120 lbs.) at about five months of age. They are very thrifty and do well on pasture. The meat is lean, tender and mild tasting. True to their breeding, Romneys are highly resistant to foot- and wool-rot. They are quite hardy and are noted for their ease of lambing and strong maternal instincts.
We chose the Romney breed for multiple reasons:
- Their ability to thrive on pasture
- Their outstanding resistance to foot rot proves beneficial on our heavy clay soils
- Their strong maternal instincts
- The fact that they are dual-purpose. We love lamb, but we like the idea of having one species that alone can diversify our operation.
