I'm not sure what our family and friends think when they hear that we want to move to the country and start raising, among other things, a flock of sheep. Aside from thinking that we're crazy, I mean. Before I knew anything about shepherds, pastures, grazing, electric fences, or lambing, I'm not sure what image would have stuck in my mind as generically "sheepish."
So I thought I'd help out and highlight a few of our favorite breeds. Most of them are English heritage longwool breeds--we like wool, duh--that are dual purpose...meaning they make darn tasty lamb, too. A couple are on the Livestock Conservancy's "Conservation Priority List" so they are critical, threatened, or under watch because of low numbers. In the case of the most endangered, that means under 200 new registrations per year with less than 2,000 globally. For the Watch category, that means less than 10,000 animals around the world.
Even if you're not into shepherding, hopefully you find these critters cute to look at! Even more, they're super useful.
FYI, Leicester is pronounced "Lester."
 |
| Bluefaced Leicester |
 |
| Border Leicester |
 |
| Corriedale |
 |
| Cotswold |
 |
| Leicester Longwool |
 |
| Lincoln |
 |
| Romney |