Norfolk Horn ewe with her Suffolk cross lamb.
In the last few years with numbers stabilised, a number of Norfolk Horn breeders have begun to look at ways to ensure the breed’s survival for the long term and to utilise the breed’s many qualities. The Norfolk Horn ewe is an excellent mother and makes a good lowland ewe for putting to a terminal sire. Seeking to use these excellent mothering abilities some breeders have established programmes of cross breeding pedigree Norfolk Horns with commercial breeds such as the Blue Texel, Charollais, Suffolk and Ryeland.
Norfolk Horn ewes crossed with a commercial ram such as a Suffolk rarely produce horns, they can grow and finish much quicker, at 16-20 weeks, than the pure Norfolk lambs. Pure Norfolk lambs will mature from 24-32 weeks and are fantastic kept longer as hogget or mutton as they do not go to fat as some commercial breeds do.
Norfolk Horn ewes with Blue Texel cross lambs
