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 At
"Dishley Grange" farm
in Leicestershire, England, visitors today can still see signs of the
innovative farming techniques of a pioneering 18th century farmer named
Robert Bakewell. Recognizing that with selective breeding he could make
changes over time to the traits of his livestock, he made profound
improvements to hogs, horses and his prized longhorn cattle. But his
triumph was the Leicester Longwool sheep, which has since played a vital role in the
development of many of our familiar modern sheep breeds.
A large framed, dual-purpose sheep carrying a heavy long-stapled fleece, the
Leicester Longwool is a sturdy, efficient and adaptable breed. Making good use of
marginal forages they can thrive in a wide variety of climatic conditions. Rams
average 250 lbs, and ewes 180 lbs. Ewes are good mothers giving plenty of rich
milk, with a lambing percentage of 120-150% and higher in selected flocks.
Founding fathers George Washington and Thomas Jefferson both had large
flocks of sheep and took pains to bring in good Leicester rams from England to improve
their stock.
World travelers, Leicester Longwools have been exported to mainland Europe,
North and South America, Australia and New Zealand.
In 1826 the Leicester Longwool was one of the first pure breeds to be
imported into Australia. Today it is known there as the "English
Leicester," and
is valued as a crossing sire to improve the carcass qualities of finewool breeds.
During the late 19th and early 20th century the Leicester gradually fell out
of favor as it was replaced by newer breeds. By the 1930's it was
nearly extinct in North America. Today it's classified as "rare" by the
American Livestock Breeds Conservancy,
but is enjoying a revival of interest due to the wonderful lustrous fleece
and other desirable traits.
We are dedicated to preserving this priceless foundation breed for future
generations of shepherds.
Leicester Longwool Sheep
Breeders Association (LLSBA)
RT. 1, Box 172B
Albright, WV 26519
304-379-9100
grazingherd@frontiernet.net |
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Fleece
Characteristics
The breed is generally white but colored sheep occur and can range from
black to "English Blue" (deep gray to silver). The
fleece is long, curly, lustrous and heavy, with staple lengths from 8 to 14
inches.
It is high-yielding and stylish with
well-defined crimp. Generally softer and somewhat finer than Lincoln or
Cotswold, it's highly valued
by handspinners and weavers for its handle and beautiful dye acceptance.
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| Leicester Longwool
fleece
Photo courtesy of New
Zealand Sheep Breeders Association |
The wool is also useful in the clothing
industry for its strength and sheen, producing heavy woolens of superior
quality. The familiar "worsted" fabric—smooth, hard-wearing and
elegant—has been produced from longwool
sheep since the Middle Ages. |
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