Thursday 7 December 2017

Beasts Of The Field

A few more friends met on my travels.....

Large Black - that's not just a description, that's the name of the breed. They are certainly large and can become very large indeed. And they are the only breed to be completely black. The fine beast above is to be found at the Museum of East Anglian Life, at Stowmarket. It may sound strange to find a pig in a museum, but it's quite appropriate as they are an old breed which was at one time very much part of East Anglian life. Nowadays numbers have dwindled and they are considered a rare breed.


Red Poll - These neat little cattle can often be seen on nature reserves around Cambridgeshire. They happily graze rough ground and because of their smallish size don't make such a mess of the ground as more commercial breeds do. All walkers love them as they are placid little darlings and don't make a nuisance of themselves by hanging around gates and stiles.  


Hebridean - These dainty little sheep are a lot tougher than they appear, being adapted to life on the wind-swept, rain-lashed islands off the north-west coast of Scotland. They are said to be descended from Viking sheep which were brought to Britain in the ninth century.



Rabbits (!) - Oh, yes, rabbits were once farm animals too. When I was at school we were told they were brought to England by the Normans. More recently archaeologists have discovered that they were more probably imported by the Romans. Not only that but they've even discovered bunny bones dating from before the last Ice Age, so the Romans were actually re-importing them to a land where they'd died out understandably enough, when everything was covered in ice and snow. It's amazing what archaeologists worry their heads about! There was a boom in rabbit farming during Victorian times when their fur was used for making top hats.


Shire - Shire horses have a long history dating back at least to the English Great Horse which was the breed used by knights in armour, even though Hollywood insists on rather more regal animals! They weren't much used for ploughing though till the nineteenth century, before that oxen were the traditional draught animals used on farms. There are less than 1,500 of them in the country today so they are considered "at risk".


Oxford Down - There always seems to be something of the teddy-bear about Downland sheep. They are big, heavy animals compared to some sheep and have a lot of wool on top of their heads and even on their faces giving them a rather cuddly look. That's not what makes them attractive to sheep-farmers, of course - they like the fact that they can be crossed with commercial ewes to produce big lambs for meat. 


Highland Cattle - What other animal could survive winter on land like that without shelter? Not only survive but thrive. They were bred to live on the treeless, wet and windy highlands of Scotland, so the treeless, wet and windy fenlands of Cambridgeshire present no problem for them. They seem to be a docile, peaceful breed despite their wild appearance - perhaps because they can't see much through their long, thick fringes!


Take care.



20 comments:

  1. Thanks for an interesting post, John. Let's hope these old breeds will survive, they are unique and special. I've enjoyed watching your photos!

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  2. When I'm in England I usually stay with a cousin in Woolpit, not far from Stowmarket, but I've never been to the East Anglian Life Museum there.... I'll have to pay a visit to the Large Black pig next time I'm there. Love those old breeds, especially the fluffy cuddly sheep.

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  3. A great post, John as I particularly enjoy seeing rare breeds of farm animals and you've provided lots of info too! Thanks!

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  4. Great photos and such interesting histories. I would love to know more about those rabbits and bunny bones from the ice age.

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  5. You do meet the most wonderful characters on your walks John. The Hebridean sheep face reminded me a bit of a Krampus, but much sweeter 😀

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  6. Love these animal posts, John. The shires are massive by the look of that one!

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  7. Jesus wept that pig is enormous, and as for the downland sheep!

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  8. When I was a child there were Red Poll cattle near where I lived in Lincolnshire John. I have not seen any for many a year.

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  9. The Downland sheep looks like a koala bear. Good that these rare breeds are being conserved. Lovely animals.

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  10. Wow, the Large Black is massive, I have never seen a pig that big. A great collection of unique animals, thanks for sharing and also thanks for sharing that info on the sign I posted the other day.

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  11. Great examples of interesting animals! The Hebridean sheep reminded me of the sheep we saw on St. Kilda.

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  12. Oh, my, I loved seeing these. The Shire is a beauty....and i loved that Oxford Down sheep. It does look almost like a stuffed toy...reminds me of koala.

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  13. Love all the photos of the cute animals and the stories/descriptions of each.

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  14. Excellent and interesting overview. Large Black is a perfectly accurate description!

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  15. Possibly one of my favourite posts of yours John! I love animals and wildlife so this was adorable to see. I think the shot of the shire horse is my favourite though, I adore horses and have done ever since I was young and that's such a pretty photo. Lovely shots here! - Tasha

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  16. Funny how some pigs have ears that blinker their eyes. The Shire is very handsome and looks like he/she knows it. Friendly face, too. The bunny is very sweet. Good thing the Highland cattle are gentle as their horns look pretty sharp. The Oxford Down sheep does look like a Teddy or, as kids say over here now, a Stuffy.

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  17. Wonderful photos of the rare breed animals. Love the bunny, I very rarely see them now, just a few years ago we could see loads of them on our walks:)

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  18. Good fellows all! Tho I have reservations about hogs after having several hundred for neighbors a few decades ago.

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  19. What interesting breeds. I've heard of Shire horses and Highland cattle and even the red poll, but the others are all new to me.

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