The Badger Face is a
mountain breed found in many areas of Wales and has been seen for many
Centuries appearing in pure Welsh Mountain flocks
Badger Face are relatively small - a typical ewe weighs
40kg-50 kg. The body of a Badger Face is as you would expect from a Welsh
Mountain breed. The tail is long and set well up on the rump.
The markings on the legs should be clearly defined.
Tan stripes on black legs on the Torwen and white, grey or light tan on black
legs on the Torddu..
The face of the Torddu can be light tan, grey or
white, with black markings. The hair above the nose should be black. The nose
is dark. Some sheep carry a light covering of wool on the forehead, but the
rest of the face is free from wool. Horns on the ram are dark coloured, and are
heavily spiralled; Horns on ewes are
unacceptable
The breed produces exceptionally high quality meat
with fine texture and excellent flavour. The Badger Face regularly produces
more lambs than the Pedigree Welsh and in the right (lowland) conditions has
produced 200% lambs. 160% is common in upland conditions with a high survival
rate which is helped by the lamb’s determination to get on its feet, often in a
few seconds.
The
Badger Face Welsh Mountain is a sheep with a long history. Sheep with the now
familiar “badger” markings have been seen across Wales for as long as sheep
have wandered the mountains and hills of Wales.
Over many centuries Badger Face lambs have “turned up” in Pedigree Welsh
Mountain flocks even when no Badger rams have been anywhere near. These
coloured sheep were used as “markers” on the hill to help shepherds locate
their flocks. In the Mid 1970’s a small
group of farmers in Mid Wales, who all kept a few Badger Face sheep got
together to exchange some of their sheep and started breeding Badgers Face with
Badger Face. A meeting was held to form a Society in November 1976 and in the
first year 32 members joined including a farmer from Anglesey who had kept
Badger Face for 40 years and had a flock of about 300.
The following is a summary of
some of the key points that have made the Badger Face such a success. They are more prolific than the Welsh
Mountain and in the right conditions can achieve 200% lambs. The lamb’s ability
to get up and suck in seconds means the survival rate is very high. Growth
rates of 200 grams a day from pure Badger Face is easy from 
grass.
It is impossible to identify the origin of the breed with any certainty. It is
known that many breeds round the World carry the badger face gene. Where both
parents carry this gene, lambs with the now well known badger face markings
will be seen. In pure Welsh Mountain flocks, a handful of badger marked lambs
are seen most years. The introduction of a new ram can make a difference. If,
by chance the ram, although a pedigree white Welsh mountain can carry the
badger face gene.
The 1 or 2% of ewes that have the gene will produce badger face marked
lambs.
The Badger Face traditionally has been less affected by commercial pressures
than many other breeds. Many of the pedigree flocks are relatively small. Many
are kept for showing and improvements to the quality of the sheep and the
markings over the years have made it far more appealing to the commercial
shepherd. The commercial value has increased steadily. The easy management,
high lambing %, hardiness and suitability for all conditions makes them a
useful alternative to many hill and mountain breeds.
• The Torddu (pronounced Torthee) is about three times more numerous than the
Torwen and is the Badger Face
• The Torwen
originally had more white than the modern type. Experience has shown that the
more white the sheep has the earlier the fleece will turn grey. This is only an
issue in the show ring. The Badger Face
has had more entries than any other native breed in the Royal Welsh Show for
the last ten years. Usually about 200 sheep are on show and are always judged
on the first day. A large crowd gathers to watch the judge sort out the best in
class ( a huge task in some classes as entries of 30+ are often on show).
Nearly
every Show in Wales has classes for the Badger Face and they can be seen in
other areas – usually placed in “any other breed” sections.
