Bluefaced Leicester

Bluefaced Leicester

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 evolved from a breeding scheme of Robert Bakewell, in Dishley, Leicestershire in the eighteenth century. First known as the Dishley Leicester, and then the Hexham Leicester, because of the prevalence of the breed in Northumberland, the name Bluefaced Leicester became known at the beginning of the 20th century. 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. 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.

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.

External links

• Bluefaced Leicester Sheep Breeders Association - United Kingdom
• Bluefaced Leicester Breeders Association - United States
• Bluefaced Leicester Union of North America