Introduction

As the name indicates, the Oxford Down mutton breed comes from Oxford, England. The breed originates in the 1800 when, due to the wars, sheep breeders aimed at improving the properties of mutton, wool and hide. The aim was to breed a sheep that could provide mutton for keeping the troops fit as well as wool and hide for keeping them warm.

Today, the main aim in Oxford Down breeding is to improve the muscularity and bodyweight. Currently, the most advanced results have been achieved in Denmark where Oxford Down has been bred already for about 120 years. Unfortunately, due to the decrease in the profitability of sheep breeding in general, the progress has slowed down also in Denmark. In the beginning of 1990's very high quality Oxford Down purebred breeding stocks were imported here in the North Karelia and this has helped to make the breed more well known and allowed a very succesfull use of this breed in both pure and cross breeding. With responsible breeding and careful selection of the best breeding stock using ultrasound evaluation, the Finnish Oxford Down breeding stock can be developed to very competitive levels.

Characteristics of the breed

Oxford Down is a large, calm, quiet and adaptable breed. The fleece is light brown, nose, ears and feet are black. An adult Oxford Down ram weighs 100-160 kg. Despite its large size, it is an easy animal to handle as it is very good natured. An adult ewe weighs 80-100 kg. The breed is polled and long-tailed, the wool is very dense and straight, and slightly coarser than the wool of the Finnish breed. Some individuals, however, have a very woolly fleece. Because the fleece does not grow too long and thus does not felt easily, Oxford Down sheep normally need to be sheared only once a year. We shear our sheep on average every 8 months.

Commercial value of Oxford Down

The ewes have very good mothering ability and are good milk producers. From the third lambing onwards, the ewes normally have twins. Singles normally have a birth weight of about 6.5-9.0 kg and twins weigh approximately 4.0-6.6 kg at birth. The fact that the weight at 6 weeks is often over 20 kg is also an indication of good milk production. The breed is very muscular and well known for its fast daily growth rate. On average, the lambs gain about 300-400 g per day up to the age of 4-5 months. At 4 months of age, the lambs normally weigh over 40 kg. Characteristic to a mutton breed, Oxford Down lambs are muscular and lean; the fat is largely 'marbled' within the muscles which results in juicy and delicious meat.

Oxford Down is a hardy breed and lambs are born with fleece. Hence, the animals are happiest in a cool pen. The adult sheep can stay out all winter with only a simple covered area for sleeping and providing shelter from wind. When lambing, the temperature in the pen has to be kept at 0 degrees Celcius, but already after a week or so, the ewes with their lambs can be kept in an uninsulated space. Oxford Down breed is happy in modest conditions and has very good grazing habits, and hence is very suited to profitable sheep farming here, in naturally unpolluted North Karelia.