Pitt Island
Pitt Island sheep are a rare feral-derived sheep associated with Pitt Island in the Chatham Islands of New Zealand. The population traces back to nineteenth-century domestic sheep that were left or ran under limited management on a remote, windy island environment. Isolation favored alert, self-reliant animals rather than a uniform show type. They are generally small to medium sheep with active movement, variable color, and fleece that can range from fine to medium depending on the line.
Today they are kept mainly by rare-breed custodians, smallholders, and conservation-minded flocks rather than mainstream commercial farms. Management is still normal sheep husbandry: reliable fencing, annual or seasonal shearing depending on fleece type, hoof checks, parasite control, and calm handling facilities. The main breeding concern is preserving authentic lines while avoiding close inbreeding. Buyers usually want history on the flock of origin, because Pitt Island sheep are valued for genetic heritage and hardiness more than for standardized production figures.
