The Leicester Longwool or English Leicester is a British breed of sheep. It derives from the Dishley Leicester bred in the late eighteenth century by Robert Bakewell, but was not bred by him. During the nineteenth century it was exported to several countries, among them Australia, New Zealand and the United States.
In the twenty-first century it is an endangered breed, with fewer than 600 head in the United Kingdom and an estimated total population world-wide of . It is listed by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust as 'priority', the highest level of concern of the trust.
History
The Leicester Longwool – like the Bluefaced Leicester and the Border Leicester – derives from the Dishley Leicester bred at Dishley Grange in Leicestershire in the late eighteenth century by Robert Bakewell.
The Leicester Longwool in the 1700s was slow-growing and coarsely boned. They now have been developed to gain weight quickly and are fast-growing. Leicester Longwool was one of the first pure sheep breeds introduced to Australia, having been introduced in 1826. The Leicester Longwool has been used to improve many sheep breeds because of its meaty carcase (carcass) and heavy fleece.
Characteristics
The head of an Leicester Longwool should be carried well, not too high and should have no signs of horns on the poll (forehead). The face is generally in a wedge 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 should be of medium length. The shoulders should be strong and level with the back, which should be flat. The legs should be straight and wide apart and the hooves should be black.
The fleece should be dense (having thick and blocky clumps of wool also known as the staple). It should be lustrous, indicating the shine on the wool, and should have a well-defined crimp or wave from skin to tip. The common fibre diameter for an Leicester Longwool is 32 to 38 micrometres (microns).
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