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Sheep
Lincoln Longwool
2008 Watchlist; Category 4, At Risk.
The Lincoln Longwool is the largest longwool sheep, developed over the
centuries to produce heavy fleeces of strong wool to make hard wearing
cloth. The wool from the sheep of Lincolnshire was the basis of the
prosperity of the east of England until the advent of artificial fibres.
In the 18th century the Lincoln became an important dual-purpose breed
producing both a large quantity of wool and a large mutton carcase.
Many thousands of Lincolns were exported to many parts of the world,
particularly to South America, Australia and New Zealand, where they
were crossed with the Merino to createnew wool breeds such as the
Corriedale and Polwarth.
The breed declined through the 20th century, and by 1971 there were only
15 flocks left containing only about 500 ewes. There was a partial
revival in the late 1980s and the ewe numbers increased to 1300 but the
breed is again in a precarious position. It has a polled white head with
a broad forelock of wool.
The Lincoln is noted for its strong-stapled lustre wool which is used
for a diverse range of products. The average weight of a ewe fleece is
6-7 kg, but a fleece clipped from a 27 month old ram at its second
shearing weighed 21 kg, and the record length of staple is 80 cm,
clipped from a shearling ewe. The Lincoln has a large strong boned
frame, and at slaughter at 20 weeks of age the carcase weight will be
20-29 kg and that of a hoggett 35-40 kg with excellent flavoured mutton.