The ewes are seasonal breeders, beginning to come into heat in late October. They will continue cycling until May if not bred, but seldom breed naturally during the summer. Rams appear to be sexually active year round. The lambs reach sexual maturity early, ewes commonly lambing at 11-12 months of age. The ram lambs can start breeding at 7-8 months of age.
Triplets are fairly common.
The ewes are good milkers and were milked for human consumption through the centuries up to the middle of this century. The most eye-catching aspect of these sheep is the incredible variation of colors in the breed. The blacks can range in hue from a blue black, inky black through a brown black. The badgerfaces can range widely in their fleece color depending on how much red and black fibers they have in their coats. The color can range from buff, champagne through oatmeal.