Their most common colouring is all black – with a depth of blackness which is particularly striking in the lambs – but Arapawas may often have white points, and on very rare occasions be pure white. Arapawa Sheep are a wonderful New Zealand heritage breed of sheep and in my opinion perfect for the lifestyle block. The fineness of the fleece appears to give protection from strong winds and driving rain, and for humans has many potential uses in spinning and felting and in speciality fibre mixes. Like other island breeds, they were abandoned onto offshore islands like Arapawa island in the Marlborough Sounds as a food cache for returning sealers and whalers in the early days of pioneering exploration and exploitation of New Zealand by European interests. Being an animal from the NZ bush, they do need to always have shade provided in thier paddocks, otherwise they get too hot and sweaty, which attracts flies. But it is not impossible that they were introduced earlier by the whalers who were the first European occupants of the Island, or even by earlier visitors. Arapawa meat is fine-grained, sweet, lean, and with a special 'gamey' flavour much sought by restaurateurs. Only a … Although there are many theories of how the sheep arrived, it is generally accepted that they are descendants of Merino strains from Australia. The Arapawa goat is a breed of domestic goat whose ancestors arrived with European explorers or colonists in New Zealand, possibly as early as the 1600’s. The breed was originally only found on the rugged island of Arapawa, which is situated at the top of the South Island of New Zealand. Arapawa meat is a great way to utilize your wethers, as like wiltshire meat it is fine-grained and lean, and particulalry good at hogget age. Pick a young one and keep it moist and I bet it will be beautiful. The Rams are horned, but the ewes are polled. Prior to that they lived for 7 years on a smaller farm in Muriwai Valley on Auckland's west coast, and so they brought the farm business name with them when they relocated to a bigger farm. Liberated onto Arapawa Island at the top of the South Island as food for returning whalers and sealers they soon adapted well to their surroundings. The finer the wool, the finer the meat. •   Breeders Directory   • Like any meat it depends on the age and condition. Rams may have spiralled horns which can be over a metre in length. To those unused to their distinctive appearance, Arapawa sheep may at first acquaintance seem ungainly or even ugly, with their somewhat hunched appearance and often ragged fleece. Actually Arapawa goat is a feral breed of domestic goat, and it is one of the rarest goat breeds in the world.. The fleece of the Arapawa is of Merino-like fineness and is of particularly high bulk which makes it of interest to textile manufacturers; it also makes excellent waterproof felts for head and footwear. The Arapawa's origin is Merino, and merino is some of the best meat you can eat. A small, dual-purpose animal that was found isolated on the island of Arapawa in the Marlborough Sounds of New Zealand, there is evidence to support the belief that the Arapawa goats are direct descendants of the now extinct "Olde English" breed. If you want to own some distinctively New Zealand sheep you could not do better than to run your own flock of Arapawas. We have a few Romneys at the moment and I would like to get some Arapawa sheep after the others moved on. •   Arapawa Wool   •, See also Navigation Bar at top of this page. Arapawa sheep is derived from the feral sheep of Arapawa Island in the Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand. They are also able to thrive on what would be regarded in modern agriculture as ‘poor’ or ‘unimproved’ pasture, but which often translates to more nutritionally-balanced pasture. PREMIUM GAME. Heritage breeds generally have a genetic predisposition to much higher natural immunity to pests and diseases, not having been bred to depend on the artificial aid of constant pharmaceutical supoort. They do best if given access to bush and/or constant mineral supplementation, as due to their origins they need a higher mineral element in thier diet to maintain their robust health. Feral sheep are also naturally more resistant to fly-strike, and at AgResearch Lincoln in Canterbury, research is currently underway to introduce this characteristic of the Arapawa into a new "no-fuss" sheep breed. You don't see farmers killing old rams for house meat. They are also quiet and easy to handle in the sheepyards, being quite a bit lighter than white woolly sheep. The Arapawa goat is a dual-purpose breed of domestic goat raised for both meat and milk production. Then again, if you're into spinning, Arapawa wool would be nice. They make superb paddock mowers as coming from a bush environment they particularly relish all those pasture weeds that other stock will leave behind. Arapawa meat is a great way to utilize your wethers, as like wiltshire meat it is fine-grained and lean, and particulalry good at hogget age. The rams have the nickname “rasta ram” due to its long matted wool and huge 1 1/2 curl plus horns with heavy bases. They are from Arapawa Island, in the Marlborough Sounds, and are thought to have been introduced some 150 years ago by early settlers, possibly a type of Merino sheep. If you want to own some distinctively New Zealand sheep you could not do better than to run your own flock of Arapawas. I’ve heard they can be fairly wild and jump We make every effort to provide you with premium quality livestock, both in terms of their genetic potential and their health and condition at time of sale. They are also just great to have around and make lovely pets. However, individual fleece weights are considerably less than those found in commercial wool breeds, although the natural tendency for the fleece to be shed, which occurs in most wild sheep, is not so marked under farm conditions. Arapawa sheep question ! Arapawa meat is fine-grained, sweet, lean, and with a special 'gamey' flavour much sought by restaurateurs. • Breeders Directory • • Arapawa Wool • These are a breed of feral sheep that come from Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand. Katahdin Sheep Unlike most hair sheep that are developed for hot, humid climates, the Katahdin adapts well to a range of environ-ments and is hardy and prolific. However, what we do know is that the animals which survived adapted themselves to their harsh island home by becoming hardy and resilient. The origins of the founding stock is obscure, and there are as many tales and assertions as there are sheep! Arapawa Sheep originated from a fine-wooled breed of merino sheep from Europe. Ginnel, if you didn't want to worry about shearing sheep, you could go for a low maintenance breed like the Wiltshire. The most strikingly coloured are those which are spotted with white over the whole body, and which are often referred to as 'cocktail' Arapawas. They are bright, alert and agile animals, and can become ‘flighty’ if they don’t see humans very often. They are also just great to have around and make lovely pets. Their story dates back to 1773, when Captain Cook sailed to the island of Arapawa, just off the coast of New Zealand, with 2 Old English Milk goats.