| Drysdale | |
| Country: | New Zealand |
| Maleweight: | 90–110 kg |
| Femaleweight: | 55–70 kg |
| Woolcolour: | white |
| Facecolour: | white |
| Horns: | polled |
The Drysdale is a New Zealand breed of sheep. It was developed from 1931 by Francis Dry, and derives from sheep of the New Zealand Romney breed in which a mutation caused the coat to be particularly hairy, and thus suitable for carpet-making. It is a specialised carpet wool breed, but also a useful meat breed.
Francis Dry in 1931 noticed a genetic freak, a Romney ram with a high percentage of very coarse wool. Crossing two Romneys and Cheviots resulted in a sheep with a lot of coarse fleece which is about 6kg (13lb) with a 40 microns[1] fibre diameter[2] and a staple of 200to. The coarse wool gene causes both male and female Drysdales to be horned. The male's horn resembles a Wiltshire ram's horn whereas the ewe's horns are very small - usually only 8to in length. Live weight is 60–70 kg.