Manx Loaghtan

The Manx Loaghtan is a rare breed of sheep (Ovis aries) native to the Isle of Man. It is sometimes spelled as Loaghtyn or Loghtan. The sheep have dark brown wool and usually four or occasionally six horns.

The Manx Loaghtan is one of the Northern European short-tailed sheep breeds and descends from the primitive sheep once found throughout Scotland, the Hebrides, and Shetland Islands. The word Loaghtan comes from the Manx words lugh dhoan, which mean mouse-brown and describes the colour of the sheep. This breed is primarily raised for its meat, which some consider a delicacy. The meat has recently received EU recognition and protection under the Protected Designation of Origin scheme, which requires products to originate in a specific region.

The Rare Breeds Survival Trust has characterized the Loaghtan as "at risk". By the 1950s there were only 43 surviving specimens. Manx National Heritage developed two healthy flocks. These have given rise to commercial flocks on the Isle of Man and elsewhere. Even so, today there are still fewer than 1,500 registered breeding females in the United Kingdom.

The Manx Loaghtan is a small sheep, with no wool on their dark brown faces and legs. The sheep have short tails and are fine boned. In the past century the sheep's colour has stabilized as Moorit, that is shades between fawn and dark reddish brown, though the colour bleaches in the sun. Manx Loaghtan usually have four horns but individuals are also found with two or six horns. The horns are generally small on the ewes but larger and stronger on the males. An adult female weighs about 40 kg, and an adult male about a third more.

Loaghtan is farmed as a delicacy on the Isle of Man, with only two principal farms on the island producing the meat. There are now many holdings on the UK mainland that also breed Loaghtans, including some farms with over 100 ewes – for example the Fowlescombe Flock in Devon. This gourmet meat is highly prized, often being sold as hoggett or mutton from well-finished animals. A 15-month-old will yield a carcass of 18 kg of lean, low-cholesterol meat.

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