The livestock animals of the Dark Ages and Medieval periods looked quite different to the breeds we have today which have constantly been tampered with to create animals that provide higher yields of meat and milk for farmers. So we had to do quite bit of research into what animals were available in the 8th to 12th centuries and what are the closest references we have available.
The sheep breed we chose is the Jacobs sheep. It was introduced to Britain by the Romans. It is a small breed only coming up to the knees on a human. But it was a hardy animal which was well suited to the wet Western European climate. We have some females a lamb and also a ram to keep the sheep happy!
The Goat breed is an Old English primitive goat and date back to around 3000BC. It is a small breed but very hardy and suited to cold and rough environments and has spectacular horns.
For the Horse we chose a Breton horse breed. Very much akin to the English shire horse in being bulky and full of muscle and very suited to agricultural work.
For Cows we went back to the Highland cow for reference which is a close relative of early domesticated cattle. It is short but stocky and very hardy for harsh winters and produces good milk and meat. We created a little family with a Cow, Bull and little lowing calf.
Lastly we have the pigs. These were a bit tricky to research. Medieval pigs tended to be more closely related to the wild Boar and had longer snouts, longer legs and were hairier. Thankfully we found a farm that is retro breeding pigs back towards the Boar to create a more Medieval and Iron Age breed. These were ideal for reference and we created a Sow, Boar and piglet family.
