Teeswater (sheep)
Encyclopedia
The Teeswater is a breed of sheep from Teesdale
, United Kingdom
. It is a longwool breed of sheep, which produces a generally large-diameter fibre. The breed is raised primarily for meat.
Teeswater sheep have been bred in northern England
, United Kingdom
for about two hundred years; the breed was rare by the 1920s, but the breed has seen a renaissance since World War II
. The Rare Breeds Survival Trust
has categorised the breed as ‘vulnerable’.
The Teeswater Sheep Breeders' Association was formed in 1949 with the aim to encourage and improve the breeding of Teeswater sheep and to maintain their purity and particularly to establish the supremacy of Teeswater rams for crossing with hill sheep of other breeds for the production of half-bred lambs.
free fleece, a characteristic it passes on.
John Claudius Loudon
's "An Encyclopaedia of Agriculture" of 1825 describes the breed as:
Teesdale
Teesdale is a dale, or valley, of the east side of the Pennines in England. Large parts of Teesdale fall within the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty - the second largest AONB in England and Wales. The River Tees rises below Cross Fell, the highest hill in the Pennines, and its...
, 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...
. It is a longwool breed of sheep, which produces a generally large-diameter fibre. The breed is raised primarily for meat.
Teeswater sheep have been bred in northern 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...
, 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...
for about two hundred years; the breed was rare by the 1920s, but the breed has seen a renaissance since World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. 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...
has categorised the breed as ‘vulnerable’.
The Teeswater Sheep Breeders' Association was formed in 1949 with the aim to encourage and improve the breeding of Teeswater sheep and to maintain their purity and particularly to establish the supremacy of Teeswater rams for crossing with hill sheep of other breeds for the production of half-bred lambs.
Characteristics
The wool of the Teeswater should be fine, long-stapled with high lustre with each lock hanging free and with no tendency to felt. There should be no dark fibers in the fleece, which should be uniform in texture over the whole body. The Teeswater produces a kempKemp (wool)
Kemp is generally a chalky-white, brittle, weak fibre which may be mixed with normal fibers in a sheep's wool fleece. Kemp fibres are often detached from the skin. This hair is not desirable in a fleece, as it does not accept dye, minimising both the quality and the value of the wool....
free fleece, a characteristic it passes on.
John Claudius Loudon
John Claudius Loudon
John Claudius Loudon was a Scottish botanist, garden and cemetery designer, author and garden magazine editor.-Background:...
's "An Encyclopaedia of Agriculture" of 1825 describes the breed as:
The Teeswater sheep differ from the Lincolnshire in their wool not being so long and heavy; in standing upon higher, though finer boned legs, supporting a thicker, firmer and heavier carcase, much wider upon their backs and sides; and in affording a fatter and finer grained carcase of mutton…