Autumn Lambs Defy Traditional Farming Calendar
While most people associate bouncing lambs with springtime, the rolling hills near Bridport in Dorset present an unusual sight each November. Chubby, energetic lambs can be seen gambolling across sunlit pastures, thanks to a remarkable genetic characteristic unique to this region's sheep.
A Centuries-Old Genetic Marvel
This phenomenon of autumn lambing isn't new to West Dorset and South Somerset. For over four centuries, since the 1600s, local sheep have possessed a rare genetic quirk that allows them to lamb outside the normal season. This extraordinary trait enables healthy ewes to achieve three pregnancies within 24 months through careful flock management.
The breed gained formal recognition during the Victorian era, with local shepherds competing to name it after their county. Dorset emerged victorious when farmers near Bridport established the Dorset Horn Sheep Breeders' Association in 1891. The association even attracted royal patronage from Queen Victoria herself.
World's Oldest Dorset Horn Flock
The lambs observed today belong to the world's longest-established Dorset Horn flock, first registered by Frederick Fooks in 1906. Now managed by his great-grandson Francis Fooks, who runs the farm with his brothers and nephews, this historic flock continues the tradition.
Francis works the flock with his young border collie, Bea, bringing the animals closer with well-practiced commands. Approximately one-third of the adults display the breed's signature spiralling horns that curl downwards like scaly ammonites. The hornless variants are Poll Dorsets, developed in Australia by crossing imported Dorset Horns with other pedigrees.
"The Polls are easier to manage," Francis explains, "they don't get hooked up on things, or bash you in the legs. But there's something about the Horns; they are very pleasing to the eye."
Both types share distinctive characteristics including white faces and unique rosy-pink nostrils and lips, a genetic inheritance from the now-extinct pink-nosed Somerset sheep that was lost during the county rivalry over a century ago.
These robust animals feature thick, creamy fleeces particularly suited for felting. Some of their wool travels to a specialist firm in Yorkshire that produces biodegradable coffins, demonstrating the breed's continuing commercial value.
The September-born lambs grow rapidly, becoming large and sturdy by the time they're weaned in January. As these lambs mature, another portion of the flock begins lambing, returning to the more conventional spring schedule and completing the farm's unique annual cycle.
