The Manx Loaghtan ([needs IPA] loch-tan) is a rare breed of sheep (Ovis aries) native to the Isle of Man. It is sometimes spelt as Loaghtyn or Loghtan. The sheep have dark brown wool and usually four or occasionally six horns.
The Manx Loaghtan is one of the Northern European short-tailed sheep breeds and descends from the primitive sheep once found throughout Scotland, the Hebrides, and the Shetland Islands. The word Loaghtan comes from the Manx words lugh dhoan, which mean mouse-brown and describe the colour of the sheep. This breed is primarily raised for its meat, which some consider a delicacy. The meat has recently received EU recognition and protection under the Protected Designation of Origin scheme, which requires products to originate in a specific region.
The Rare Breeds Survival Trust has characterised the Loaghtan as “at-risk”. By the 1950s there were only 43 surviving specimens. Manx National Heritage developed two healthy flocks. These have given rise to commercial flocks on the Isle of Man, United Kingdom and Jersey. Even so, today there are still fewer than 1,500 registered breeding females.
Appearance
The Manx Loaghtan is a small sheep, with no wool on their dark brown faces and legs. The sheep have short tails and are fine-boned. In the past century, the sheep’s colour has stabilised as “moorit”, that is shades between fawn and dark reddish-brown, though the colour bleaches in the sun. Manx Loaghtan usually has four horns, but individuals are also found with two or six horns. The horns are generally small on the ewes but larger and stronger on the males. An adult female weighs about 40kg, and an adult male weighs around 60kg.
Jersey
The Loaghtan is believed to be the closest surviving relative of the now-extinct Jersey sheep. In 2008 the National Trust for Jersey began a programme of introducing Loaghtans into Jersey for coastal grazing, a traditional method of vegetation control in the north of Jersey. Today, two shepherds care for a flock that has grown from 20 to 231 animals.
Ecology
There appears to be a link between the presence of Loaghtan sheep and the ability of the chough to thrive. Studies on Ramsey Island, Bardsey Island, and the Isle of Man have found that as the number of grazing sheep fell, so did the number of breeding choughs; when sheep grazing increased, so did the number of breeding choughs. This appears to be happening in Jersey as well.
As the Loaghtans graze, they crop and trample the grass. This enables the birds to access surface-active and soil insects. Also, the dung they leave draws beetles and fly larvae. These insects in turn are a resource for the birds when the ground is hard or other insects are scarce.