Self-shearing sheep bred by British farmers

The new breed, called Exlana, is being developed by farmers in South West England to lose their woolly coats automatically in Spring.

Now, instead of spending precious time and money shearing their sheep, they now simply wait for the light coats to 'moult' in the fields.

The wool, which is shorter and more sparse than a traditional British sheep, begins shedding around the animal's neck and legs, often leaving a temporary patch in the middle.



Where a normal sheep would produce up to 20lbs (9kg) of wool, the Exlana – whose newly coined name means 'used to have wool' in Latin– yields just 1lb (500g).

The cross breed sheep – the first of their kind in the UK – were created using imported semen and rams from diverse and exotic breeds such as the Barbados Blackbelly and St. Croix.

The new ewes are estimated to save farmers £8 per animal per year in labour costs – which could equal thousands of pounds a year for a full flock.