Loaghtan

Loaghtan sheep, more fully Manx Loaghtan, are a primitive short-tailed breed from the Isle of Man. The name is linked to the Manx words for the breed's mouse-brown color, a warm moorit fleece that can fade at the tips with age and sun. Animals are small to medium, fine-boned, and agile, with rams and many ewes carrying multiple horns; four horns are especially associated with the breed. Loaghtans belong to the northern European short-tailed group and were once close to disappearing before conservation breeding rebuilt numbers.

People keep Manx Loaghtans for heritage meat, handspinning fleeces, conservation grazing, and the preservation of island livestock genetics. They handle rough grazing well and do not need the growth rates or feed levels of modern lowland meat breeds, but they still require good mineral balance, hoof care, and protection at lambing in severe weather. Horns demand thoughtful pen design and calm handling, since crowded gates can cause injuries. Breeding flocks usually select for correct color, sound horns, hardy lambs, and pedigree lines that support the wider rare-breed population.

Colors: Badgerface, Black, Blackbelly, Brown, Gray, Gulmoget, Katmoget, Moorit, Piebald, Ranging From Light to Dark, Red, Silver, Spotted, Tan, White, White with Black Points, White with Brown Points