Hog Island Sheep Come In From The Wild
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Wild sheep found on Hog Island off the Virginia coast are now available from a handful of breeders. The unusual breed was left to run wild on the island for nearly 40 years. Since removal from the island in 1970, most have been kept at living history farms. In recent years, a few individuals, like Jeff and Ginny Adams, have begun rebuilding herd numbers.
“There are only about 200 breeding females, and we have about 60 head,” says Jeff Adams. “We first saw them at a country fair at Montpelier, the home of James Madison. We decided to get a pair, and it went from there.”
The sheep Adams bought are genetically unique. Virginia Tech researchers have found they don’t share genetic markers with modern commercial or heritage breeds. They do appear to be distantly related to Scottish Blackface sheep.
They aren’t even much like each other. The breed includes polled, horned and scurred types. Faces and legs can be black or speckled in shades from dark brown to gray. Fleeces vary in texture and color, and horns vary from wide open and circular to winged. After decades of unselected breeding, they are a mishmash of traits. Adams is doing his best to keep it that way.
“We try to replicate the island and run the rams and ewes together year-round,” he says. “It makes pedigrees impossible, but once you start to select for traits and control breeding, it’s human selection, not natural selection.”
Adams explains that by running the sheep together, the breed makes the decisions. Like most sheep breeds, breeding starts in September and continues through the end of the year.
The breed grows slowly. While a ram will reach 150 lbs., it usually takes two years. Lambs are butchered around Thanksgiving at about 60 lbs.
“It takes until deep winter of the first year for lambs to reach 80 lbs.,” says Adams. “If ewe lambs are born late in the season, they don’t breed until the second year.”
While Adams does process and sell lambs from the flock, he’s also interested in expanding the breed with serious breeders. For that reason, he has a flat price on all live animals. “I charge $250 across the board, whether for an 8-week lamb or a 4-year-old ram,” he says. “I don’t sell many, but I do end up trading quite a few with other rare breed breeders.”
Adams and his wife also own American Milking Devon cattle, Tamworth pigs and other rare breeds. They market beef, pork, lamb, poultry and wool, as well as other products from their farm and offer farm tours.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Jeff Adams, Walnut Hill Farm at Elm Springs, LLC, 449 Kellogg Mill Rd., Falmouth, Va. 22406 (ph 540 752-2909; www.walnuthillfarmva.com).
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Hog Island Sheep Come In From The Wild LIVESTOCK Sheep/Goats Wild sheep found on Hog Island off the Virginia coast are now available from a handful of breeders The unusual breed was left to run wild on the island for nearly 40 years Since removal from the island in 1970 most have been kept at living history farms In recent years a few individuals like Jeff and Ginny Adams have begun rebuilding herd numbers “There are only about 200 breeding females and we have about 60 head ” says Jeff Adams “We first saw them at a country fair at Montpelier the home of James Madison We decided to get a pair and it went from there ” The sheep Adams bought are genetically unique Virginia Tech researchers have found they don’t share genetic markers with modern commercial or heritage breeds They do appear to be distantly related to Scottish Blackface sheep They aren’t even much like each other The breed includes polled horned and scurred types Faces and legs can be black or speckled in shades from dark brown to gray Fleeces vary in texture and color and horns vary from wide open and circular to winged After decades of unselected breeding they are a mishmash of traits Adams is doing his best to keep it that way “We try to replicate the island and run the rams and ewes together year-round ” he says “It makes pedigrees impossible but once you start to select for traits and control breeding it’s human selection not natural selection ” Adams explains that by running the sheep together the breed makes the decisions Like most sheep breeds breeding starts in September and continues through the end of the year The breed grows slowly While a ram will reach 150 lbs it usually takes two years Lambs are butchered around Thanksgiving at about 60 lbs “It takes until deep winter of the first year for lambs to reach 80 lbs ” says Adams “If ewe lambs are born late in the season they don’t breed until the second year ” While Adams does process and sell lambs from the flock he’s also interested in expanding the breed with serious breeders For that reason he has a flat price on all live animals “I charge $250 across the board whether for an 8-week lamb or a 4-year-old ram ” he says “I don’t sell many but I do end up trading quite a few with other rare breed breeders ” Adams and his wife also own American Milking Devon cattle Tamworth pigs and other rare breeds They market beef pork lamb poultry and wool as well as other products from their farm and offer farm tours Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Jeff Adams Walnut Hill Farm at Elm Springs LLC 449 Kellogg Mill Rd Falmouth Va 22406 ph 540 752-2909; www walnuthillfarmva com
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