Manx Loaghtan’s are a primitive breed of sheep originating on the Isle of Man off the North West coast of England and were numerous across the island historically, but had fallen dramatically by the 1950s.
The breed is from the same Northern short-tailed primitive group of breeds as the Shetland and Soay breeds and is ‘moorit’ brown throughout with no white or light markings seen.
Both males and females are horned, carrying two or four horns, with the four horned animals demonstrating a gene which splits the horn bud.
A keen and active browser, the breed thrives on rough grazing and has been used successfully in a number of conservation grazing projects in the UK.
Noted for its fleece which is particularly hard wearing, the breed’s wool is in demand for use in knitwear, with the fleece varying in length throughout the breed. Colouration is usually of the pure moorit colour, although some present a mix if unpigmented fibres.
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