Drysdale

Drysdale sheep are a New Zealand carpet-wool breed developed from Romney sheep carrying a hairiness gene studied by Francis Dry at Massey Agricultural College. The result was a white, medium to large sheep producing coarse, medullated wool especially useful for hard-wearing textiles rather than soft apparel.

The breed's history follows the rise and decline of carpet-wool demand. Drysdales may be kept for genetic conservation, specialty fiber, or meat, but they need buyers who understand that the fleece is deliberately coarse. Twice-yearly shearing, horn expression in some animals, and limited population size are practical considerations. For a small flock, finding unrelated breeding stock may be harder than finding fleece customers, and conservation plans should be realistic before purchase.