The Leicester Longwool is an

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breed A breed is a specific group of domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist several slig ...

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 s ...

. Alternative names for the breed include: Leicester, Bakewell Leicester, Dishley Leicester, English Leicester, Improved Leicester and New Leicester. It was originally developed by 18th-century breeding innovator Robert Bakewell. It is now one of Britain's rarest breeds, categorised as "endangered" by the

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, since fewer than 500 registered breeding females remain in the

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History

Illustrirte Zeitung (1843) 12 182 2 Leicester Schur-Widder des Herrn Stone

Leicester Longwool sheep date back to the 1700s, and were found in the Midland counties of

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, originally developed in Dishley Grange, Leicestershire by Robert Bakewell. Bakewell was the foremost

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of modern animal-breeding techniques in the selection of

livestock Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to animals ...

. The Leicester Longwool in the 1700s was slow-growing and coarsely boned. They now have been developed to gain weight quickly and are fast-growing. Leicester Longwool was one of the first pure sheep breeds introduced to

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, having been introduced in 1826. The Leicester Longwool has been used to improve many sheep breeds because of its meaty carcase (carcass) and heavy fleece.

Characteristics

The head of an Leicester Longwool should be carried well, not too high and should have no signs of horns on the poll (forehead). The face is generally in a wedge shape, covered in white hairs and can appear to have a blue tinge. The lips and nostrils should be black. Having black specks on the face and ears is not objectionable. The neck should be of medium length. The shoulders should be strong and level with the back, which should be flat. The legs should be straight and wide apart and the hooves should be black. The fleece should be dense (having thick and blocky clumps of wool also known as the

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). It should be lustrous, indicating the shine on the wool, and should have a well-defined crimp or wave from skin to tip. The common fibre diameter for an Leicester Longwool is 32 to 38 micrometres (microns). The Leicester Longwool should be free, active and well balanced while in movement. It should appear to be alert and robust, showing style and character.

Other information

Leicester Longwool sheep are currently found in

, New Zealand, Great Britain,

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and the United States. They are sound-footed, which means they are acceptable on flat, hilly or more especially marginal country. They are large-framed with wide, even toplines (backs), strong constitutions and good temperaments.

References

External links

Leicester Longwool Sheep Breeders Association (UK)

English Leicester Association of Australia, Inc.

Australian Stud Sheep Breeders Association (English Leicester section)

* ttp://www.tiho-hannover.de/einricht/zucht/eaap/descript/528.htm Animal Genetics Data Bank, Hannover Germany (Leicester Longwool section) {{DEFAULTSORT:Leicester Longwool Sheep breeds Sheep breeds originating in England Animal breeds on the RBST Watchlist

History

Characteristics

Other information

See also

References

External links