Cymdeithas Defaid Balwen
Sheep Society
Balwen Welsh Mountain Sheep are a small, hardy breed, originating from the Tywi Valley. They are easy to manage and can get by on minimum supplementary feeding.
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The ewes make excellent mothers, having very few lambing difficulties and plenty of milk. Most ewes have single lambs at their first lambing, but under the correct conditions, many go on to rear twins in subsequent seasons.
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Once killed, the carcass is an excellent addition to any freezer - what it lacks in size, it more than makes up for in flavour.
The wool is graded "Soft/Medium" and has a medium-length staple of 5-7.5cm.
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The British Isles has many breeds of sheep; some recently introduced whilst others have existed here for centuries.
The Welsh Mountain Sheep can be termed as an umbrella term to describe many of the breeds indigenous to Wales.
Through careful breeding and selection, the Welsh Mountain Sheep has developed into many distinct breeds: the Balwen Welsh Mountain Sheep being one of these.
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Balwen Welsh Mountain Sheep originate from a small area of Wales - the Tywi valley.
During the disastrous winter of 1947, the breed was nearly wiped out with only one ram surviving.
During the 1950's and 60's a steady increase took place and by the 1970's people outside the valley began to take an interest in the breed.
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1985 the Balwen Welsh Mountain Breed Society was formed and although numbers continue to steadily increasing, the Balwen Welsh Mountain Sheep continue to be on the Rare Breeds Survival Trust's watch list.
