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Sheep
The flock
FAI has a flock of around 1000 sheep.
The flock contains a number of different breeds - Coopworth, Scottish Blackface, Suffolk Mules and ‘Self-shedders’.
The Coopworth breed is from New Zealand and was chosen because it is well-suited to the English climate, and because it has a high resistance to food-rot.
Each spring, after a 5 month pregnancy, ewes give birth to one or two lambs - sometimes three and very occasionally even four.
The lambs live with their mothers in the fields until they are at least four months old and they are old enough to eat grass.
The lambs are used to produce meat once they reach their slaughter weight (~40kg).
Sheep fact-file
Males are called rams
Females are called ewes
Young are called lambs
Food products we get from sheep include: lamb and mutton
