History of the Byarlea Poll Wiltshires

The Byarlea Wiltshire Horn Sheep Stud was established in 1994.

The Byarlea stud has increased their numbers to be the largest Wiltshire Horn Sheep stud in Australia. Throughout the Wiltshire Horn flocks in Australia there has been numerous ewes born visually polled, with very small scurs or short horns. Byarlea had 5-6 ewes visually polled, with very small scurs or short horns born into their flock of over 2000 each year.

It was assumed the ewe lambs were hornless Wiltshire Horns. In 2005 the Byarlea Stud had a very unusual occurrence. A ram lamb, Orange 100 (which was named Noah) was born into the stud flock near Crystal Brook without horns. Both his Sire and Dam were horned as were generations before him. Since then Byarlea have monitored and assessed Noah’s progress. He shed completely as a lamb and continues to do so.

Geneticist Mr Scott Dolling was invited to inspect Noah and all of the other ewes visually polled, with small scurs or short horns born at Byarlea over the years. He was very interested in this occurrence and assessed and scored the hornless ewes and Noah in 2006 and 2007. Since 2008 Pfizer Animal Genetics have been monitoring and assessing the DNA of the polled and horned Wiltshire sheep at Byarlea.
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