As the name implies, Cheviot sheep come from the Cheviot Hills that are located on the border of England and Scotland. Records dating from 1372 articulate that around this time, the sheep there were a ‘small but hardy race.'
Thousands of Merinos were brought to England during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, whose bloodlines are thought to have been added to the local stock. Later on, James Robson of Belford used large Lincolnshire rams against smaller-framed, short-wooled ewes. The result seemed to be a success and Belford rams became popular throughout the Cheviot Hills. The Cheviot wool quickly became the ideal choice for cloth manufacturing, and towns such as Hawick, Selkirk and Galashiels became well known for the ‘tweeds' they produced. Today, their fleece is mostly used in the tweed and carpet industries. The staple length of their dense, helical crimped fleece is generally seven to 13 cm and yields between 50 and 75 percent. Ewes cut around 2½ kilograms, while rams cut around 3½ kilograms.
Cheviot sheep are known for their hardiness, mothering abilities (enabling higher lamb survival rates), easy lambing (due to low birth weights) and rapid maturity, high fertility (ewes are known to twin regularly) climatic adaptability and good foraging.
Their fleece is dense and without colour. They are bred primarily for meat production as their quality lamb is well recognised. This is achieved by their active lifestyles, whereby muscle gain is encouraged as opposed to fat gain. Their carcase is also known for its impressive dressing percentage. They have medium-sized frames. Mature rams typically weigh between 73 and 91 kilograms, while mature ewes can reach up to 73 kilograms. Worm resistance and low rates of footrot are also characteristic.
Cheviot sheep first arrived in Australia in 1843 when they were brought to Tasmania by the Van Diemen Co. The first stud was established in 1938 in South Australia, and by the late 1950's, the breed had flourished throughout the country. Here, they are often used for crossing for prime lamb mothers and as terminal prime lamb sires.
The Cheviot Sheepbreeders' Association of Australia maintain and promote the breed within Australia.
