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At Glyn-Coch we pride ourselves on our flock of Norfolk Horn sheep, as well as our various other animals. This page of the site is dedicated to our livestock. Though we encourage children (and adults!!) to look at the animals we have here, we would like to remind you that they are farm animals and as such we request that there is no touching.
For information about the wildlife at Glyn-Coch, please visit our woodland ecology page, here.
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We inherited our flock of Norfolk Horns when we moved into Glyn-Coch in May 2000. Descended from the ancient Saxon black-faced sheep, the Norfolk Horns could be found all over Europe 1000 years ago, and remained common in Norfolk and elsewhere until the Norfolk Four Course Rotation was introduced.
The improvement in soil fertility resulting from the rotation meant that more intensive sheep keeping was possible, and this demanded improved breeds of sheep.
One such improved breed was accidentally started in 1784, when a Southdown ram belonging to Mr. Arthur Young escaped and got into a tenant's flock of Norfolk Horn ewes. The tenant got a better price for the resulting cross bred lambs and so the Suffolk breed was born.
By 1810 the Norfolk was giving way to the Suffolk breed, and by 1963 there were only 13 pure Norfolk Horn ewes left. A group of enthusiasts got together with a geneticist to save the breed. They made such good progress that they were asked to help rescue other breeds, and in 1973 they formed themselves into the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. There are now nearly 1000 Norfolk horns worldwide of which we have 12 ewes, 2 rams and 8 ewe lambs. Even so the breed is still classified as endangered.
Breed Development
The medieval sheep industry sold mainly wool. Some flocks were also used for their milk. As ewes (fed on poor medieval diets) usually only produced one lamb a year, it was sensible to keep the lambs until they reached full adult size before butchering, but the resulting mutton was considered a very poor substitute for beef, especially by the few who could afford to buy meat. The Norfolk Horn reached its peak of popularity at this time, and so does not have the heavy hind quarters of modern meat producing breeds. As a result the sheep, described as being 'fine boned and deer like', are rejected by butchers in favour of modern meatier breeds.
Although medieval shepherds guarded their flocks very carefully they were, at times, subject to attack by large predators (wolves and perhaps even bears) which are no longer a problem. The horns of an adult ram would have been a substantial disincentive to such an attack, and a ewe (both sexes are horned) could inflict a nasty wound if cornered. (When one of our, normally very friendly and placid, rams was kept in, he destroyed a loose box designed for a large horse!) My experience of the breed is that they seem to able to jump as high from a standing start as modern breeds can on the run. This also must have been useful in escaping predators. One modern Norfolk Horn owner refers to the tendency of the breed to wander, and this would have been an advantage for medieval sheep when forage was scarce - especially when the shepherds wondered with their unenclosed flocks.
Reasons for keeping Norfolk Horns
In spite of their lack of productivity and the characteristics I have just described, many of us think that it is very important to keep this old breed going. For example we know that a cross between The Norfolk and Southdown breeds produced the Suffolk, which is still one of the most successful breeds in the world. As the industry's requirements change (especially post foot and mouth) who knows what new breeds will be required? One factor which may require a new breed with Norfolk Horn blood is the move to reintroduce nationally extinct wildlife into the UK. For example the Beaver, and more pertinently the Lynx. I doubt the Lynx would attack a full grown and healthy ewe of any breed, but the presence of horns would certainly help a ewe to defend a young lamb, and some aggressive looking high jumps would certainly deter most attacks!
While writing this I have just heard that the first results of the National Scrapie blood testing scheme have come in, and it appears that all the Norfolk Horns so far tested are Scrapie resistant. (Scrapie is the sheep disease thought to have transferred to cattle and then to humans as BSE - 'mad cow disease'.) Perhaps there is a rather more urgent need to look after Norfolk Horns then we first thought!
Also at Glyn-Coch
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We also pride ourselves on a flock of Brecon Buff and Chinese White geese.
In ancient Rome, geese are said to have alerted the city's defenders to an attack by a besieging army. Ever since they have had a fearsome reputation as guards, and their very aggressive looking greeting behaviour with neck and wings outstretched and a vigorous hiss tends to reinforce the idea. However it should also be remembered that it is said that 'a coward is one who would not say boo to a goose'.
Both stories are true of our Brecon Buffs and their companion Chinese Whites. The slightest change in their surroundings elicits a raucous hooting and cackling, and anyone who approaches is likely to be met by the hissing greeting. If they turn and run they are unlikely to escape without a peck on the bottom, but anyone who stands their ground will see a gradual wilt, and may even get a kiss! That this is a general observation about geese is reinforced by the most popular image of geese in art, that of the little goose girls - often not much bigger then toddlers - who used to look after large flocks in times gone by.
Another reference to geese in the arts is the repeated descriptions by authors such as Dickens, Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson to Christmas Geese. Scrooge's purchase of a Turkey at the end of the Christmas Carol illustrated not only the cure of his miserly tendencies, but also the destruction of his conservatism. The converted Scrooge was now ready to abandon the centuries old tradition of the Christmas Goose for the modern American import.
Traditionally geese were fattened on corn stubble before being walked quite long distances to the Christmas Markets in the cities. It has often puzzled me that they did not lose weight on marches as long as that from from Nottingham to London. The reason appears to be that their main diet is not corn, but grass. The drovers roads they used were in fact mainly very wide grass tracks, and that much of the fattening would have been done en route - especially if they were really driven at the speed of a small child.
Our geese are very noisy burglar alarms, but are also friendly, and easy to keep. They graze even tighter then the sheep, and they do like a nightly feed of corn. They also provide plenty of amusement as they really cannot see what is under their noses, and do occasionally crash into the most obvious of obstacles! They like to exercise their wings, and sometimes if the wind is strong enough they actually take off. This takes them by surprise, and they always assume that they will be landing on water which they do with their undercarriage up! The resulting horrendous looking crash results in huge indignation, but fortunately no lasting damage , and experience has taught us that it is safe, sometimes, to laugh at our ' silly geese', who, it is true to say never learn! Goslings, eggs, blown eggs, and quill feathers, are sometimes available for sale.
And our flock of (mainly) Wellsummer chickens.
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Near the car park, we have a small flock of Welsummer chickens, which lay beautiful 'ebony' coloured eggs which are sometimes for sale! This Dutch breed is a medium sized bird similar in appearance to the much more common Rhode Island Red.
We have recently supplemented the Welsummers with a more modern speckled breed, that we hope will produce a more reliable egg supply. However we will continue to keep Welsummers and are attempting to hatch some out at present.
Barney the Dog
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Barney, the Dog, is a Border Collie, more commonly known as the Sheep Dog. Completely useless as a sheep dog though, Barney is generally a companion for Huw as he feeds the rest of the animals in the morning and evening. (It may sound harsh saying that Barney is completely useless as a sheep dog, but how many sheep dogs do you know that are afraid of sheep?)
You are most likely to see Barney poking his nose out through the house door, though he does sometimes come and say 'hello!'
Three-Wheels and Target, the Cats
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Target and Three-wheels are both cats that 'adopted' Glyn-Coch as their home (or at least, their mothers did). Three-wheels is the friendliest out of the pair, and she is easily recognisable, as she is the only tabby cat here at Glyn-Coch. She is named after the song "three wheels on my wagon," because Huw took one look at her when she was born, and noticed that she had three brown legs and one white one.
Target is almost as recognisable as Three-wheels, though if his brothers and sisters (and mother) have come down the drive from our neighbours house, you sometimes have to look closely. He is a Ginger cat with what looks like almost a target in his fur on either side of his body (hence his name, Target). He is the more timid of the two, only coming near humans when Three-wheels is about, or if it is near feeding time.
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