Shropshire Sheep

Saving Rare Heritage Breeds

Heritage breeds are traditional livestock breeds raised by farmers in the past, before the rise of industrial agriculture (factory farming) caused a drastic reduction in breed variety. In the past 15 years, 190 breeds of farm animals have gone extinct worldwide, and there are currently 1,500 others at risk of being wiped out. Within the last five years alone, 60 breeds of cattle, goats, pigs, horses and poultry have become extinct.

There were less than 200 in Canada when we began our Wholearth Heritage Shropshire flock to ensure this important breed would survive here. Our pedigrees trace back to 1882 when the first British imports arrived in our country from England.

If you would like to help conserve rare heritage livestock while raising a beautiful sheep—look no further than the Shropshire. They’ve been dubbed “Easy Keepers” because their docility, sound constitution, extreme hardiness, prolificacy, and longevity, enables efficient flock management that involves minimal time and effort. Ewes make excellent mothers and have abundant milk, easily rearing energetic twin and triplet lambs for many years, often past the age of ten. Lambing percentage ranges from 170 to 200%.

If you’d like to “Talk Shrop” then please call or email for more information on our lovely Shropshires, or to arrange a visit to Wholearth Farmstudio.
Email us at the farm or Telephone: 705. 696.2556

A limited number of breeding stock will be available for sale this year, so if you are interested reserve your foundation lambs now, and join Wholearth in helping to save this exceptional breed from extinction.

Wholearth Heritage Shropshire sheep pedigrees can be viewed at Canadian Livestock Records Corporation.

True-to-Type Heritage Shropshire Sheep • Traditional Breed Character • Pedigreed 1882 Ancestry • long • low •deep • sturdy • stylish • blocky • beautiful • wide • wooly • weighty • well-muscled • growthy • prolific • hardy • milky • long-lived • open & closed face types

To learn more about this exceptional breed, it’s history, and the very special Miller ram, read the following article which appeared in the Rare Breeds Canada journal “Genesis”: (or click here to Download PDF)

A Likeable Sheep…
The Shropshire’s Rise and Fall in Popularity – Will 150 Years of Our Wooliest Agricultural Heritage Be Lost?
By Montana Jones