English Leicester
Encyclopedia
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
breed of sheep. Alternate names for the breed include: Leicester, Bakewell Leicester, Dishley Leicester, Improved Leicester, Leicester Longwool, and New Leicester. They were originally developed by 18th century breeding innovator Robert Bakewell
Robert Bakewell (farmer)
Robert Bakewell was a British agriculturalist, now recognized as one of the most important figures in the British Agricultural Revolution. In addition to work in agronomy, Bakewell is particularly notable as the first to implement systematic selective breeding of livestock...
.
It is now one of Britain's rarest breeds, categorised as "endangered" by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust
Rare Breeds Survival Trust
The Rare Breeds Survival Trust is a conservation charity, whose purpose is to secure the continued existence and viability of the United Kingdom’s native farm animal genetic resources...
since there are fewer than 500 registered breeding females in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
History
English Leicester sheep date back to the 1700s and were found in the Midland Counties of EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It was developed by a man called Robert Bakewell
Robert Bakewell (farmer)
Robert Bakewell was a British agriculturalist, now recognized as one of the most important figures in the British Agricultural Revolution. In addition to work in agronomy, Bakewell is particularly notable as the first to implement systematic selective breeding of livestock...
who was the foremost exponent of modern animal breeding techniques in the selection of livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
.
The English Leicester back in the 1700s was slow growing and coarsely boned. These days the animals have been developed to gain weight quickly and are fast growing.
English Leicester was one of the first pure sheep breeds introduced to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
being introduced in 1826.
The English Leicester has been used to improve many sheep breeds because of its meaty carcase
Body
With regard to living things, a body is the physical body of an individual. "Body" often is used in connection with appearance, health issues and death...
and heavy fleece
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
. It is one of the few breeds that are truly pure.
Appearance
- The head of an English Leicester should be carried well, no too high and should have no signs of horns on the poll (forehead). The face is generally in a wedgeWedgeWedge may refer to:Mathematics:* Triangular prism, a parallel triangle wedge* Wedge , a polyhedral solid defined by two triangles and three trapezoid faces* Wedge product, a mathematical term, named for the ∧ operator symbol used...
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 of a Leicester should be of medium length. The shoulders should be strong and level with the back which should be flat.
- Their legs should be straight and wide apart and their hooves should be black.
- The English Leicester should be free, active and well balanced whilst in movement.
- The Fleece should be dense (having thick and blocky clumps of wool also known as the stapleStaple (textiles)A Wool Staple is a naturally formed cluster or lock of wool fibres and not a single fibre. Very many staples together form a fleece.* Image of the staples on the sheep The cluster of wool fibres is made by a cluster of follicles...
). It should be lustrous indicating the shine on the woolWoolWool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
and should have a well-defined crimpCrimpCrimp may refer to:*Crimp , a small hold with little surface area*Crimp , a bent corner of a card to facilitate cheating*Crimp , a deformity in metal used to make a join...
or wave from skin to tip.
The common fibre diameter for an English Leicester is 32 to 38 micrometres (microns).
The English Leicester should appear to be alert and robust, showing style and character.
Other information
The English Leicester is currently found in AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and the US. They are a sound footed sheep which means they are acceptable on flat, hilly or more especially marginal
Marginal
Marginal may refer to:* For marginal constituency in politics, see “Marginal seat”* For the manga, see Marginal * For marginal model in hierarchical linear modeling, see “Marginal model”...
country.
They are large framed sheep with a wide even topline (back) a strong constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
and a good temperament
Temperament
In psychology, temperament refers to those aspects of an individual's personality, such as introversion or extroversion, that are often regarded as innate rather than learned...
.
External links
- Leicester Longwool Sheep Breeders Association (UK)
- Leicester Longwool Sheep Breeders Association (USA)
- English Leicester Association of Australia, Inc.
- Australian Stud Sheep Breeders Association (English Leicester section)
- New Zealand Sheep Breeders Association (English Leicester section)
- Animal Genetics Data Bank, Hannover Germany (Leicester Longwool section)