What are my special features?
The Lincoln Longwool is the largest of the longwool sheep. The breed has a polled white head, broad forelock of wool and a heavy fleece of curly wool.
The breed is renowned for the quality of its mutton and is able to produce a large mutton carcass. The sheep is strong, disease resistant and well adapted to living outside. These characteristics make the Lincoln Longwool sheep ideal for low input, extensive farming.
What is my history?
Over the centuries the breed was developed to produce a heavy fleece of strong wool for cloth making, however, with the emergence of man-made fibres, the sheep became a dual purpose (wool and meat) breed.
During the 1750’s, the agricultural pioneer Robert Bakewell used the Lincoln Longwool as a foundation stock for his famous breeding programme so that almost every improved longwool breed in the world may claim the Lincoln Longwool in its parentage. The breed declined through the 20th century.
Why am I forgotten?
The lack of demand for wool and competition with Down sheep breeds in meat production has caused Lincoln Longwool numbers to decline.
Don’t lose me… cook me!
