LEICESTER LONGWOOL SHEEP

ORDER

Artiodactyla

FAMILY

Bovidae

HABITAT AND RANGE

They are currently found in the US, Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand.

IDENTIFICATION

The fleece is heavy, curly, soft handling and lustrous. The fleece generally weighs from 11 to 15 pounds with some weighing as much as 20 pounds. Leicester Longwool are generally described as a medium to large breed with a large body.

NOTES

The Leicester Longwool is one of the sheep breeds listed by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy as critically endangered. Breeds considered critical have fewer than 200 North American annual registrations and an estimated global population of less than 2,000.