The Hill Radnor Sheep (Ovis aries) is a medium-sized European ungulate featured in the Barnyard Animal Pack DLC for Planet Zoo.
Zoopedia Description[]
General[]
Population In Wild: Unknown
The Hill Radnor is a breed of the domestic sheep (or Ovis aries) from the United Kingdom, found in Wales and England. Its name is a reference to its location of origin, the highlands of the historic Welsh county of Radnorshire and surrounding areas. It was likely developed from other native breeds in the area and was first recognised as a breed in 1911. Hill Radnors are a hardy breed of sheep, with broad bodies, and thick, off-white wool. The legs and face are brown to tan in colour and free from wool, and the muzzle is white. Rams of this breed have two curled horns, while ewes are naturally hornless. Rams average at 80cm tall, weighing 70kg to 80kg, and ewes stand 75cm tall with a weight of 50kg to 55kg.
Sheep are thought to have been domesticated in Mesopotamia between 11,000 and 9,000 years ago, developed from the mouflon, and used for their for meat, milk, and skin. Breed development, and especially selective breeding for wool-bearing sheep, likely began around 6,000 years ago. Sheep arrived on the British Isles 3,000 years ago. There, the Hill Radnor was developed to cope with the hilly terrain and wet climate of Wales. It is considered a Vulnerable breed, restricted to mostly its area of origin. Several trusts are working together with farmers to preserve the breed to protect it from extinction.
Social[]
Sheep are extremely gregarious and live in large flocks. They establish a dominance hierarchy by infighting and putting on dominance displays. In a flock with multiple rams, the rams will fight to determine who has the right to mate with fertile ewes.
Reproduction[]
Most breeds of domestic sheep are seasonal breeders, having their mating season in autumn, while a few breeds can mate year-round. In their fertile period, ewes go into heat for one day in every 17 days. They will display their readiness to mate to nearby rams with tail flicking, vocalisations, and scent signals. Rutting rams within a flock will fight for the right to mate. Before copulation, a ram will nudge and paw at a ewe. She will either run away if not interested or remain still and allow him to mount if she accepts.
Pregnancy lasts around 4.5 to 5 months depending on breed, after which the ewe usually gives birth to twins, although single lambs and triplets are also possible. Lambs remain with their mothers for 4 to 6 months, at which point they are fully weaned and become independent.
Ewes reach sexual maturity at around 8 months old, while rams can reach puberty earlier, at 4 to 6 months old.
Animal Care[]
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Hay · Herbivore Pellets · Fruit and Vegetables | |
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Zoopedia Fun Facts[]
- Early sheep, like wild sheep, had short fur. Selective breeding for longer hair created the woolly sheep we know today.
- Most sheep breeds, including the Hill Radnor, have white fur. This was a desirable trait in early domestication due to white fur being the easiest to dye. Other breeds of domestic sheep can also be brown, black, or piebald.
- Hill Radnor ewes are naturally hornless, or ‘polled’, while rams still have horns. In other breeds of domestic sheep, both sexes may be hornless, or have two or more horns.
- Domestic sheep have a strong flocking instinct. Flocking is an adaptation against predators and breeds with few natural predators in their region of origin may have a lower instinct to flock.
- Flocks of sheep, especially from highland areas like the Hill Radnor, may ‘heft’ to a specific territory which they won’t leave. This allows farmers to graze their flocks in unfenced pastures with minimal risk of individuals getting lost.
Gallery[]
