WENSLEYDALE SHEEP

The Wensleydale, a large longwool sheep, originated in North Yorkshire, UK in the early 19th century. The breed is polled with a distinctive deep blue head, face and legs. The ears and head are clean except for a well-developed forelock.

Wensleydale fleece is famous for its unique purl and superb luster and is acknowledged to be "the finest and most valuable luster longwool in the world". It grades about 50 on the Bradford Count and can easily produce two shearings per year. A yearling ewe fleece may weigh 13 to 19 lbs. The Wensleydale with its unique "central checking" gene has the ability to vastly improve the fleece and remove coarse kempy fibers. This remarkable attribute is passed on in a high degree to its offspring.

Colored Wensleydales are predominantly black or dark grey, but blue-grey or silver lambs are born occasionally. Frequently, as the result of weather, the tips may be bleached to a golden-brown or honey-beige adding to the interest.

The main use of the Wensleydale today is to produce rams to put on ewes of the less improved hill breeds, thus improving fleece as well as carcass quality and growth rate of the lambs.

A Wensleydale ewe will produce two lambs with minimal lambing problems. The lambs are large at birth with a high growth rate.

The average mature ewe weight is 248 lbs. and the average ram is 299 lbs.

Black Pines Sheep Wensleydale lambs