The Lincoln, sometimes called the Lincoln Longwool, is a breed of sheep

Domestic sheep

Sheep are quadrupedal, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Like all ruminants, sheep are members of the order Artiodactyla, the even-toed ungulates. Although the name "sheep" applies to many species in the genus Ovis, in everyday usage it almost always refers to Ovis aries...

 from England

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...

. The Lincoln is the largest British sheep, developed specifically to produce the heaviest, longest and most lustrous fleece of any breed in the world. Great numbers were exported to many countries to improve the size and wool quality of their native breeds. The versatile fleece is in great demand for spinning, weaving and many other crafts.

It is now one of Britain's rarer breeds, categorized as "at risk" 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 1500 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...

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Characteristics

Mature rams weigh from 250 to 350 lb (113.4 to 158.8 kg), and mature ewes will range in weight from 200 to 250 lb (90.7 to 113.4 kg). Fleece of the Lincoln is carried in heavy locks that are often twisted into a spiral near the end. The staple length in Lincolns is among the longest of all the breeds, ranging from 8 to 15 in (20.3 to 38.1 cm) with a yield of 65 to 80%. Lincolns produce the heaviest and coarsest fleeces of the long-wooled sheep with ewe fleeces weighing from 12 to 20 lb (5.4 to 9.1 kg). The fleece has a numeric count of 36's - 46's and ranges from 41.0 to 33.5 microns in diameter. Although coarse and somewhat hair-like, the fleece does have considerable luster.

External links

• U.K. Lincoln breeders association
• U.S. Lincoln breeders association