Bluefaced Leicester

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Bluefaced Leicester
A Bluefaced Leicester ewe and her lambs stand in a garden on green grass.

A Bluefaced Leicester ewe and her lambs
Country of origin United Kingdom
Traits
Weight Male: 110 kg (240 lb)
  Female: 89 kg (196 lb)
Wool color White
Face color Blue
Sheep
Ovis aries


The Bluefaced Leicester is a longwool breed of sheep which originates from Northumberland and became known at the beginning of the 20th century.[1] In the 1970s, the Bluefaced Leicester was exported to Canada. Exported frozen semen from the United Kingdom is now used to expand the genetic diversity in Canada and the United States.[2] This breed is raised primarily for meat, but their fleece is becoming increasingly popular for handspinning. Bluefaced Leicester sheep may also have brown on their face. The sell record has been set by a brown ram lamb selling for 23,000 guineas.[3]

Characteristics

They have curly threadlike wool which makes it considerably lighter than others. Some fleeces only weigh 1 to 3 kg (2.2 to 6.6 lb). These particular kind of sheep have no wool on the head or neck, although the pattern and shape of the wool is most like the Wensleydale.

Bluefaced Leicesters are recognisable through their Roman noses, which have a dark blue skin which can be seen through the white hair, hence the name. They are tangentially related to the original Leicester Longwool breed, and commonly used as sires for mules.

Fully grown Blueface rams can weigh up to 110 kg (240 lb) and ewes up to 89 kg (196 lb). At maturity and at the withers, rams are 90 cm (35 in) tall and ewes 85 cm (33 in) tall.[3]

References

  1. ↑ "Bluefaced Leicester". Breeds of Sheep. Oklahoma State University Dept. of Animals Science. Retrieved 2009-03-27. 
  2. ↑ "Bluefaced Leicester". Sheep Breeds Be-Br. Sheep101.info. Retrieved 2009-05-18. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Bluefaced Leicester/United Kingdom". Breed data sheet. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System. Retrieved 2009-05-18. 

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