Leicester Longwool Sheep
In the 19th and 20th Centuries the Leicester was used in the development of many new English sheep breeds. Today the Leicester Longwool is a rare breed with fewer than 700 registered animals in the U.S. and fewer than 2,500 worldwide. The breed was reintroduced to the U.S. by Colonial Williamsburg in 1990.
Ewes are calm, easy to manage, excellent mothers, have excellent milking capacity and often have twins. They are polled, extremely gentle and pass this trait on. The Leicester’s long-stapled fleece is prized by hand spinners for its soft handling and lustrous beauty.
The fleece is dense and the wool is silky and lustrous High luster is typical of the breed. Wool is clean and white and has little tendency for yellowing. Wool growth for one year varies from 5 to 14 inches. Fleece weights vary from 6 to 20 pounds. Fiber diameter is usually 32 to 38 microns, with a Bradford count of 40s to 46s.
It is high-yielding and stylish with well-defined crimp. Generally softer and somewhat finer than Lincoln or Cotswold, it's highly valued by handspinners and weavers for its handle and beautiful dye acceptance.
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