The sheep, probably brought by the Romans, were in such demand with foreign merchants, who paid handsomely for the ‘golden fleeces’, that Henry VI licensed their export. Published 11 August 2011 From: The face and legs are also white with black ears, nose, eye patches, knees and feet. Rare breed sheep for sale UK. The Sheep Trust (2009), "Devon Closewool", conservation and … In these environments, the movement of sheep and lambs are connected with higher to lower ground heights (Ciani et al. Illustrations by Fiona Osbaldstone. While the Merino is dominant in Australia and New Zealand, there are over 60 different breeds living in the UK and well over 40 in the US. It is usually within the 30-33 micron range. This is the Isle of Man’s sheep, related to the Soay and Hebridean, and its lamb also has PDO status. The sheep population of Cumbria is around three million. Probably the heftiest of Brtain’s ‘Rastafarian’ sheep, bred for their lustrous fleeces, the Wensleydale, named in 1876 to provide a classification at the Yorkshire Show, is described by aficionados as having great presence. Foreword 2 The breeding structure of the British sheep industry 2012 Acknowledgements EBLEX acknowledge Meat Promotion Wales, Hybu Cig Cymru (HCC) for funding support and British Wool Marketing Board for supplying the mailing list. The breed experiences very few lambing problems and lambs are small and lively. These sheep have been exported to many countries as a sire breed used to improve the wool quality of other sheep breeds. This uncomplicated, smiley-faced downland sheep had grazed the South Downs in huge numbers for centuries, helping to improve the fertility of the chalky soil, when enterprising Lewes farmer John Ellman began to standardise it in the 18th century. The UK is made up of a huge range of terrains and landscapes, playing host to approximately 90 different sheep breeds … Rounding up is known as ‘punding’. Click here to find out more about different sheep breeds in the UK. The cuddly, black-faced, black-legged breed was also part of the Cambridge Hybrid scheme, but its story is bound up with the opening up of the railway lines that helped the Shropshire Down to flood into Wales, where it was used to improve local hill breeds. Influenced by the sire, usually the Bluefaced Leicester, the wool can be fairly fine, with a micron count of 29-35. Its rescue from near extinction is thanks to the RBST, which, in 1974, tracked down bloodlines and rebuilt the flock; there are now a healthy 250 registered breeders. It rarely contains ‘kemp’, brittle, white fibres which do not dye easily. The Suffolk was created in East Anglia by breeding Norfolk Horn ewes with Southdown rams, resulting in a heavy weight sheep that still produces lean meat. The Scottish Blackface sheep is a hardy hill breed from the mountains of Scotland. They are a very striking looking sheep that are hardy and very alert. A medium sized sheep of the downland type, they were developed in the 19th century from breeds native to the Welsh borders crossed with Southdowns and possibly the Leicester. All other breeds will only do so in the spring, although in practice the definition of spring can be stretched pretty much from New Years Day to the Summer solstice. Another, cheaper, option is to buy cross-bred animals, which have the advantage of hybrid vigour. All Wensleydales are descended from Bluecap, a fine Dishley Leicester ram born in 1839 in the North Yorkshire hamlet of East Appleton, which was crossed with longwool ewes from the Tees Valley. This abundance of choice has enabled British farming to establish a superior ‘stratified’ breeding system that blends the toughness, agility and motherliness of shaggy hill sheep, such as Swaledales and Herdwicks, with more prolific-breeding upland strains— Bluefaced Leicester or Devon and Cornwall longwool, perhaps—and then matches those offspring with a terminal sire (meat-quality improver) from a chunky, fast-maturing lowland breed such as the Suffolk, Romney, Clun Forest or Dorset Down. A rare breed of sheep from the Yorkshire Dales. We can supply you with good quality Dorset down sheep from the Champion Four Jays Flock, founded in 1983.. All ages and both sexes offered and occasionally ewes with lamb at realistic prices, single sales welcome. Many sheep can be traced back to their early domesticated homes by their names. The breed has been exported and small flocks can be found in other countries, including Norway, Denmark, the UK and USA. If not excessive, this can be used for effect in tweeds and carpets. The Herdwick, with its distinctive bear-like white face and charcoal-grey body, has, like other wild sheep, two coats: a woolly waistcoat and a hairy outer. It hails from the Tywi valley in Carmarthenshire and was nearly wiped out by 1947 when there was only one ram left, but smallholder interest boomed and it’s had a breed society since 1985. Coarser grades are used for carpets and insulation. Sheep that are native to the harsh environment and weather of the fells and mountains necessarily produce a bulky fleece of coarser quality, which protects the animals. His efforts created one of the present day’s premier commercial breeds for developing other native terminal sire breeds, including the French Charollais as well as the Hampshire Down, Oxford Down, Norfolk Horn and Suffolk. Shetland is one of the finer, Herdwick, with considerable brittle, white kemp, is usually coarser. There were some 4,000 sheep on the island in 1840, but improved connections with the mainland resulted in the breed being swamped by competition. He mixed Manx Loaghtan, Mouflon and Moorit (lowland Scots for cappuccino-coloured) Shetland blood to produce this pretty, pale-bellied sheep. Rare breed sheep for sale UK. The Lleyn now flourishes; Prince Charles has a flock at Highgrove. News of its superiority spread quickly — in 1797, farming commentator Arthur Young stated in his review of the county’s agriculture: ‘These ought to be called the Suffolk breed, the mutton has superior texture, flavour, quantity and colour of gravy.’ It’s now a premier British breed, its bloodlines found all over the world from Russia to South America. Orkney’s most northerly island is encircled by a drystone dyke, built in 1832, to keep its unique seaweed-eating sheep on the shoreline and off farmland, where they would suffer copper poisoning. The Icelandic is one of the world's oldest and purest breeds of sheep, boasting an 1100-year history. They are known for the clean smooth haired white faces and legs. They’re low maintenance—they lose their fleeces naturally—but can be flighty and the lambs are so tiny that they’re not worth eating until hogget sized. Some British breeds naturally produce coloured fleeces used, without dye, for their special effects. Selection for wool type, flocking instinct and other economically important traits over the centuries has resulted in more than 200 distinct breeds of sheep occurring worldwide. This comically fringed, placid breed, which is reputed to produce more wool per sheep than any other breed—it’s so woolly that the lambs can be sheared—is an amalgam of the South Devon and Devon Longwool; the flock book was established in 1977. When crossed with the Leicester, the result is reputed to be one of Britain’s highest-quality mules. Britain’s extraordinarily diverse native sheep breeds lead the world. A new annual festival (July 31–August 11 this year, www.nrsheepfestival.com) promotes the sheep, from the same breed group as the Soay, Manx Loaghtan and Shetland, and invites visitors to help maintain the dyke. The Dorper and Katahdin hair breeds, both developed in modern times, are now among the most common sheep in America. The Cheviot breed started as a mountain breed, native to the Cheviot Hills between Scotland and England. Farmers Weekly carries advertisements of sheep for sale as do local papers and Country Smallholding, the Rare Breeds Survival Trust and the National Sheep Association site. It is of the Northern European short-tailed group of sheep, having a short, fluke-like tail that is not … It is native to the province of Gotland and is a sheep from open pasture. As a result of current farming practice, the wool from the first cross between pure breeds, such as the North of England, Scotch and Welsh Mule, now represents approximately 25% of the clip, and is mostly used in carpets. The stratified sheep system is unique to the UK, and is perfectly designed to play on the strengths of different breeds, and the environments and habitats of the country. The Sheep Breeds in Cumbria and the Lake District Huge numbers of sheep are reared on the hill farms and moorlands of Cumbria. It’s estimated that 50% of all the sheep kept in the UK are mules of one sort. Ewes weigh around 30kg and rams 45kg. These sheep are extremely hardy and can withstand harsh winters. The sheep have become popular with small-holders—despite their feral Hair & Meat Productive Sheep Breeds: Cordially, Montadale, Kooka etc are famous for both hair and meat production. They are a particularly attractive sheep to look at and while this is an added advantage to any breed, they are becoming established commercially, with great potential in the production of prime lambs and crossbred ewes. The Southdown sheep is a sheep that originates from the United Kingdom and it is medium sized sheep breed that has a long compact body in relation to the length of their medium length legs. This ancient Welsh mountain breed is the most well represented native sheep at the Royal Welsh Show, where about 200 make for a striking checkerboard display. The UK has 57 native sheep breeds, of which 25 are considered rare. This breed was developed in the Welsh border counties, around the small village of Kerry, Powys. Exmoor farmers are proud of the animals that have shaped the romantic landscape there. With a micron range of 30 – 35+, the thickness of the fibre can vary enormously, depending both on the breed and where it is farmed. Enter your email address to receive alerts when we have new listings available for Rare breed sheep for sale UK. There are more breeds of sheep on the planet than there are of all other forms of livestock, probably over 1,000. Here are just some of the breeds to consider, whether for field or table or both: No one really knows how these most primitive sheep arrived on St Kilda, but it was long, long ago—soay is Norse for ‘sheep island’—and their sure- footedness, light-framed physique and two-tone chocolatey wool closely resembles that of the wild mouflon that live among the boulders and crags of Mediterranean islands. It certainly has a je ne sais quoi in the way it peers out from underneath its curly forelock or ‘top- ping’. It is the only breed of sheep raised in Iceland. Numbers of females in breeds of cattle, sheep, pig, goat and horse predicted from a single year's registration data. There’s no shortage of sheep to count, either: 33 million or so across Britain, which is a quarter of the EU flock and 3% globally. Rough Fell (Rough Fell Sheep Breeders’ Association) Like Swaledale and Herdwick sheep, the Rough Fell is an upland breed from northern England. They are long-stapled, usually curly or crimped, and have a soft, almost ‘soapy’ handle. Bakewellian theory is responsible for this sturdy white sheep from north-west Wales. The Loaghtan is a multi-horned breed, with two or four horns in both ewes and rams. In 1970, when the breed was dwindling, Moses Griffith, a breeder of all things Welsh, called a meeting in Pwllheli to rekindle interest; a society was formed and the idea promoted that Lleyn genes could be used to create a new breed, the Cambridge Hybrid. Kemp, brittle white fibre, that will not easily dye, occurs in some of the coarser wools. the perfect sheep breed has resulted in a very dynamic UK sheep industry. It splits into two exacting colour schemes: the more usual Torddu, meaning ‘black belly’, is a white sheep with black eye stripes and a black underbelly that stretches up to the jaw and the much rarer Torwen, ‘white belly’, is a black sheep with small white eye patches—both parents need to carry the badger-face gene for the lamb to have the markings. The Prince of Wales and Beatrix Potter have been at the forefront of promoting this Lake District icon—a ‘herdwyck’ is an ancient word for sheep pasture—which has a strong hefting tendency. Not quite as fine as downland breeds, fleeces classified as ‘medium’ have a micron count of between 31-35 and represent some of the most versatile wools in the British clip. The insularity of life on this barren island off the Dorset coast helped preserve the characteristics of this small, hardy, primitive downland sheep, its golden tan face, creamy, latte-coloured wool and venerable expression framed (on the rams) by magnificent spiral horns. Counting sheep need not be as monotonous an activity as the old adage about it curing insomnia would suggest. The Herdwick and … The Sheep Breeds in Cumbria and the Lake District … Soay Another small, primitive breed from the remote St. Kilda islands, the Soay is regarded as a link between wild and domesticated sheep. The Cotswold Lion, so called for the leonine, rippling action of its corkscrew curls, was pivotal to the area’s prosperity—it was wool money that paid for all those famously mellow buildings. It’s patently not one of the most commercial types, but it does look pretty in the field. The Society exists to protect, promote and improve the Ouessant breed, providing members with information and advice on the care and welfare of Ouessants, and representing the interests of owners and their sheep in the UK … The Lincoln sheep breed is the largest of sheep breeds from the UK and boasts the longest, most lustrous and heaviest of wool coats. Characteristics of some sheep breeds are described below. Modern breeding schemes have also resulted in an increasing number of composite or synthetic breeds which are the result of a crossing of two or more established breeds. The Scottish Blackface is one of the sheep breeds used to produce Mules, crossbred sheep that are hugely popular in the British Isles. The lamb has EU Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status. It’s prized for its meat and its wool is considered better quality than that of most hill breeds. It is used mostly in carpet manufacturing, with some of the lower qualities used in blends for insulation. The UK has more sheep breeds than any country in the world - over sixty different breeds cared for by more than forty thousand sheep farmers on hills and lowlands. The largest percentage of sheep breeds originate in Northern Europe and especially the UK. The staple contains some crimp. In 1957, it was decided that this smartly marked, biddable strain of ‘Shropshire Cross’, which was almost exclusively bred around Llanwenog in the Teifi valley, should be named after the village (80% of the 88 flocks to sign up to the society were from an area called Y Smotyn Du (The Black Spot), a Unitarian stronghold). Sir Jock Buchanan-Jardine bred this dainty sheep specifically to adorn the parkland of his Castlemilk estate in Dumfriesshire. The breed originates from the prehistoric short-tailed breeds of sheep found in isolated parts of North West Europe where they survived because they were not replaced by more developed breeds. Fleece is dense and firm with no wool on face or legs. After Sir Jock’s death, RBST founder the late Joe Henson kept the breed going at his Cotswold Farm Park. Dutch Spotted Sheep are a relatively new breed to UK. It’s a mongrel breed which owes much of its origins to the hill farms of Northern England. The wool from downland sheep breeds is generally densely grown, springy and has a short staple. The breed is now predominantly medium grey colour and is commonly known as the Swedish Pelt Sheep. Wool has different features and benefits, and therefore different uses, depending on where sheep live, on hills or lower land. Use the filters below to see which breeds are the rarest and click on the photos to learn more about the UK's sheep breeds. The Dorper and Katahdin hair breeds, both developed in modern times, are now among the most common sheep in America. The largest percentage of sheep breeds originate in Northern Europe and especially the UK. The variation in the thickness of the fibre is considerable with the Bluefaced Leicester the finest in the British clip, approximately 26 micron, while the Devon and Cornwall Longwool is coarser. In the third edition of this very popular book, the Wool Board has tried to portray an accurate picture of the types of sheep kept at the beginning of the 21 st century. Named for areas they once occupied, breeds like the Rambouillet and North Ronaldsy are easily identifiable. There is something like forty different breeds of British sheep. Selection for wool type, flocking instinct and other economically important traits over the centuries has resulted in more than 200 distinct breeds of sheep occurring worldwide. The fleece of each UK sheep breed has evolved to … A Ryeland lamb - one of the oldest UK sheep breeds - at the RHS Malvern Show, Worcestershire, England, UK Two Wensleydale sheep. Measuring 35 micron and above, this type of wool is particularly resilient, contains brittle white kemp and is very hard wearing. Known as the Great Improver, Britain’s largest indigenous sheep, with its distinctive prick ears and noble roman nose, is descended from Bakewell’s famous Dishley Leicesters and was probably the most sought-after breed in the country, if not the world, for cross-breeding. The hard-wearing wool is chiefly used in carpets as well as for doll’s hair and needle felting. Wool from native hill breeds varies from fine, fairly soft handling fleeces which are used in yarns for knitting yarns and fabric, to a coarser, crisp fibre which has some resilience and ‘body’. These sheep, with their beautiful, elegant faces, have been bred almost exclusively for more than a century on the hills of Eppynt, Llanafan, Abergwesyn and Llanwrtyd Wells in Powys, although the bigger draft ewes are now in demand with lowland farmers to cross with their Continental, Suffolk or Down rams. The local sheep, with its wide face and splendid curly horns has been described as ‘looking you in the eye’ with the ‘irascible, defiant grumpiness’ that has helped it survive bleak weather. The Mule is one of the most common breeds of sheep in the UK. Although named after the county of Norfolk the breed developed in the relative isolation of East Anglia and was the prevalent breed in Norfolk, Suffolk, north Essex and south east Cambridgeshire. Raised for its meat, the sheep has a black face with a white patch across its nose. Finest qualities of these wools are used in cloth and hand knitting yarns. The Ouessant Sheep Society was formed by a group of like minded breeders and enthusiasts in February 2005 and has since grown to include over 100 flocks across the UK. From the Rare Breeds Survival Trust Watchlist 2016 (www.rbst.org.uk), Minchinhampton and Rodborough Commons: The Cotswolds countryside where butterflies roam and stones cure smallpox, Curious Questions: How did cats come to be man’s second-best friend? Its name is mysterious, given that lonk is a Lancashire word for lanky. They are bred in Scotland but are found in most parts of the United Kingdom as well as Ireland. They are strikingly attractive sheep with a white fleece. This appealing, slow-maturing sheep with Portland its curly fringe and black smudge nose is also known as the Dartmoor or Improved Dart- moor, a reference to its development in the 19th century from the three centres of South Hams, Chagford and Tavistock, when it was crossed with local longwools and Leicesters. One of the more instantly recognisable breeds, these sheep have a white fleece and all black face, and the first record of their breed was recorded all the way back in 1797. beginnings, they are jolly, friendly, healthy creatures— and for conservation grazing. The Exmoor Horn’s renaissance has coincided with that of mutton as a fashionable meat. It is of the Northern European short-tailed group of sheep, having a short, fluke-like tail that is not … You can also find your nearest retailer of British Wool products using our stockist locator. It is one of the oldest sheep breeds. Bakewell sent his Dishley Leicester rams to improve Irish ewes in Co Roscommon and the results were imported into Wales in the 19th century by Lloyd Edwards of Nanhoron and Lord Mostyn of Cefn Amlwch, who, between them, owned most of the Lleyn peninsular. Numbers plunged dramatically as manmade fibres took over, but, in 1966, the efforts of hobby farmers, plus major breeder William Garne of Aldsworth, brought about a resurgence. The Boreray is a small breed. Dorset sheep are the only British sheep that will give birth at any time of year. However, it’s now classified as ‘at risk’ by the RBST and its close relation, the Bluefaced Leicester, is far more prominent. Lincoln Longwool Sheep The Lincoln is a breed of sheep from England that has been significantly altered by selective breeding in the later part of the eighteenth century. The breed also has horns and are excellent breeders, rearing lambs in challenging climate conditions. The stratified system is divided into three tiers: hill, upland and lowland. The Lonk, carefully bred over 200 years in the Pennines—the flock book was started in 1905—is a particularly handsome, more powerfully built version of the ubiquitous black-faced hill sheep of the northern counties (it’s related to the Derbyshire Gritstone). Sheep have grazed in Britain for thousands of years, providing one of our greatest natural resources - wool. There’s something endearing about the Suffolk’s long black ears, which either flop down or stick up bat-like, and the uniform black face and legs add to the appeal. They have a small head covered with fine, white hair that also covers their legs. Wales has all sorts of hill breeds, including the now ubiquitous Welsh Mountain Black and the more localised Hill Radnor, Brecknock Hill Cheviot and Llandovery Whiteface, but the Balwen, which means ‘white blaze’ in Welsh, is arguably the handsomest, with its uniform facial marking, four white socks (mandatory in males) and white-tipped long tail like a fox’s brush. Modern breeding schemes have also resulted in an increasing number of composite or synthetic breeds which are the result of a crossing of two or more established breeds. National Trust founder Canon Hardwicke Rawnsley was instrumental in formalising the breed and inspired Potter to keep them; she died before she could take up her role as president of the breed society, but her will stipulated that Herdwicks should remain on her land. It’s distinguished by a rich brown colour, especially of the face—‘loaghtan’ derives from lugh dhoan, which is Manx for mouse brown or moorit (see Castlemilk Moorit)— and wonderfully crazy horns. Together we're growing something special. Found in U.S. but not as common. The white face should have grey mottling to match its legs. They’ve been beautifully painted by Radnor-based artist Seren Bell, who is entranced by their ‘ancient bony heads’ and black-and-white uniformity. Oxford sheep (also known as Oxford Down) is an English breed developed in the 1830s by crossing the Cotswold with a forerunner of the Hampshire, and using the resulting cross-breeds to form the basis of the present-day breed. was started. It is believed to be descended from the ancient Saxon black faced sheep once prevalent in Northern Europe. It is the only breed of sheep raised in Iceland. You can cancel your email alerts at any time. Many sheep can be traced back to their early domesticated homes by their names. These wools have a sheen which dye effectively. Are you looking for a docile, amiable rare breed of sheep? The UK is made up of a huge range of terrains and landscapes, playing host to approximately 90 different sheep breeds and crosses. Television presenter Kate Humble is a fan. The sheep population of Britain is constantly evolving, thanks to both changing farming patterns and developments within the many breeds of sheep kept here. The diameter of the wool fibre very much influences the end use of the wool and, with a micron count of between 29 and 35, the breeds in this category are used for cloth, bedding, futons and in hand knitting yarns. Soay Another small, primitive breed from the remote St. Kilda islands, the Soay is regarded as a link between wild and domesticated sheep. You can cancel your email alerts at any time. Each has a purpose, from the ornamental — Manx Loaghtan or Castlemilk Moorit — to the golden-fleeced (Cotswold, Wensleydale) to the commercially useful Border Leicesters and Lleyns that are slimmer, fitter versions of those comical 18th-century paintings of corpulent, four-cornered farm animals. Since we moved into the mill in 2005, we've processed fleece from over 50 different breeds. The RBST formally recognised it in the 1970s and, in 1994, a breed society A clash between two four-horned rams can be violent, the animals lifting their rear ends off the ground for extra impact. The breed can shed its fleece although not all animals do so. The rest is selected for harder wearing tweeds and, sometimes, carpets. Sheep Breeds Derbyshire Gritstone Sheep a domestic farm Animal which is usually polled ID: BJ0ERK (RM) A flock of rare breed Jacobs sheep in a field on Moel Smytho in hills of Snowdonia National Park near Waunfawr, Gwynedd, Wales, UK, Britain It was further developed in the Middle Ages, where the cloth trade called for flock masters to select more for white fleece. The Norfolk Horn is one of the oldest breeds of sheep in Britain. As a result of current farming practice, the wool from the first cross between pure breeds, such as the North of England, Scotch and Welsh Mule, now represents approximately 25% of the clip, and is mostly used in carpets. Breed societies can put you in touch with potential suppliers as well. The Herdwick, the Rough Fell and their close neighbour the Swaledale have been bred and reared to withstand the climate. The earliest record of a distinctive breed carried by these hills dates back to 1809. Finer types are used in fine suitings, knitwear and hand knitting yarn, coarser wool is generally used in upholstery and carpet blends. The British Wool breed book includes detailed information about British sheep breeds and wool types. The small black sheep with the uncompromising stare and, when it grows four horns, rather bonkers appearance, was saved from extinction by landowners who were seeking ornamental parkland animals. Also within the lowland breeds category are the Longwool sheep breeds which include Wensleydale – renowned for it’s high lustre fleece – as well as the Leicester Longwool and Lincoln Longwool. The North Country Cheviot sheep is a Cheviot breed of sheep that originated from Scotland in around 1791. Mostly white wools which will dye well, with some springiness, finer qualities are suitable for apparel yarns for cloth and hand knitting. Named for areas they once occupied, breeds like the Rambouillet and North Ronaldsy are easily identifiable. In UK industry, sheep is stratified with individual breeds with specific environmental adaptation. Enter your email address to receive alerts when we have new listings available for Rare breed sheep for sale UK. The Icelandic is one of the world's oldest and purest breeds of sheep, boasting an 1100-year history. Find out more about different wool types and some of our most popular breeds below, and view our breed book for more detailed information. The Badger Face Welsh Mountain Sheep Society was established in 1976. A primitive breed of sheep, the Boreray is a small, slender animal. Photo credits: History: The Badger Face Welsh Mountain is believed to be one of the oldest British sheep breeds, with origins dating back to the 1st century. (Or best, depending on who you ask), Bothies: The hidden shacks across Britain offering shelter, comfort and warmth to weary travellers, Country Life's Top 100 architects, builders, designers and gardeners. Scotland also has an incredible wealth of ancient sheep breeds. 2013). Wales has all sorts of hill breeds, including the now ubiquitous Welsh Mountain Black and the more localised Hill Radnor, Brecknock Hill Cheviot and Llandovery Whiteface, but the Balwen, which means ‘white blaze’ in Welsh, is arguably the handsomest, with its uniform facial marking, four white socks (mandatory in males) and white-tipped long tail like a fox’s brush. Many, including the Boreray, Soay, Castlemilk Moorit and North Ronaldsay feature on … In 2009, chef Nigel Haworth won the BBC’s Great British Menu contest with his lonk hotpot recipe. Cross-Breeding with Leicesters improved the breed’s meat production qualities. Influenced by the sire, usually the Bluefaced Leicester, the wool can be fairly fine, with a micron count of 29-35.
When Is Live Rescue Returning 2021,
One Clue Crossword Chapter 32,
Lupin The Third: Farewell To Nostradamus Full Movie,
Windsor Competition Bike,
Bosch Nexxt 500 Series Dryer Won't Start,
Land For Sale In Yucatan, Mexico,
Frieza Lsw Sprites,