Horns
Broken Horns
Tails
HORNS
Portlands are
always horned, both in the male and the female.
The horn shapes can vary but the ewes always have a
single curve, usually describing a rough semi-circle
away from the head.
The rams horns are much larger and
will continue growing until the animals are about
three years old. They usually form a double spiral on
each side when fully formed.
One problem found in most horned sheep
is that the horns can sometimes grow back into the
face, sometimes the eye of the animal. It is often
difficult to decide in lambs if this will be a
problem but by the time the animals are a few months
old any tendency for this to happen should be evident.
In a ewe, the tip of the horn can be removed but it
is better to avoid any animal showing this tendency. 
In rams the problem is much more
serious. If a horn grows inwards, it closes in on the
jaw and has been known to break it! Allowing an
animal to suffer in this way is a criminal offence
and any owner could be prosecuted long before this
actually happened. As the rams horns grow over a two
to three year period they form a double spiral which
tends to bring them closer to the head. If
as a ram lamb or shearling, the first spiral starts
too close to the head, it could be a serious problem
when it is fully grown. In an adult ram
you should be able to insert at least one finger
between the closest part of the horn and the side of
the face.
Of all the potential problems
associated with buying Portlands or any horned sheep,
particularly rams. Tight horns are among the most
serious. Tight or close growing horns appear to be
highly hereditary and we would normally avoid any
animal showing that tendency. Experience
has shown us that tight horns never
improve with age.
BROKEN HORNS
One annoying
problem with Portlands, nearly always with ewe
lambs, is that sometimes they push their heads
through sheep netting then pull their heads back
minus a horn! This is not usually life threatening,
although the wound can bleed heavily. The horn will
regrow but will always
be stunted and will not match the other one
despite what any potential vendor may say! Obviously
this will not be passed on to it's offspring being an
injury rather than a genetic fault but it would
affect the animal's value as a show sheep. This
problem is very rare in ram lambs but not unknown. An
adult ram with a horn sawn off supposedly due to an
injury, could
be viewed with the suspicion that it might
have been too tight to the head.
TAILS
The tails on Portland
sheep are normally left long. An animal that is being
sold would be marked down considerably if it had been
docked. A Portland would not normally ever be entered
in a show class with a docked tail.
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