The Blue Texel is a Dutch breed of meat

sheep Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated ...

. It is a colour variety of the

Texel Texel (; Texels dialect: ) is a municipality and an island with a population of 13,643 in North Holland, Netherlands. It is the largest and most populated island of the West Frisian Islands in the Wadden Sea. The island is situated north of Den ...

, which originates on the island of

in the Wadden Sea. It was established as a separate breed in 1983.

History

The Blue Texel was first registered and recorded in the early 1970s in Holland when a blue lamb was born to white

parents. After this occurred, Texels were deliberately bred to give birth to blue lambs. By 1983 there were 11 flocks with a total of 213 blue texel sheep.

Breed standard

* Head should be narrow with a white halter mark * Flat poll with no wool and head covered in fine hair with white tips on the ears * Medium-sized sheep with a well-muscled body * Fleece must be dense * They should stand square and balanced * Ideal color is a darker head and shoulder, light blue color on the back, and dark again around their back end. * Black fleece with little or no white markings is not acceptable

Distribution

Blue Texels originated in Holland. They can now be found throughout Europe including Holland and The United Kingdom. The Blue Texel has not yet made its way to North America.

Uses

Blue Texels are typically used as a terminal sire in commercial flocks to add muscle and other meat characteristics to the lambs. Their fleeces are also becoming more popular due to their unique colour pattern. Blue Texels are a new breed in the show ring and often catch the eye of the judge.

References

External links