Bluefaced Breed Rare, Productive

Bluefaced Breed Rare Productive LIVESTOCK Miscellaneous Bluefaced Leicester pronounced lester sheep are an uncommon breed raised for both meat and wool production After Margaret VanCamp in Swartz Creek Mich got her first look at them she decided to add a few head to her flock     “A longtime friend was interested in the breed and found some in Canada ” says VanCamp “She also brought semen in from the U K and with the help of two or three others she got the breed going in the U S in 1995 We finally decided to try a couple head in 2006 ”     VanCamp liked the blue-faced sheep so much that she is now an officer in the breed association Bluefaced Leicester Union of North America Once she got her hands on them she realized that not only did they have fine very shiny long wool fibers but they also were very meaty     “They have little legs but a great carcass with a good length and width of loin with great muscling on the leg ” says VanCamp “They are a very thick-bodied animal and tend to put on and keep weight If overfed they will get fat but generally they are excellent keepers ”     The ewes tend to twin and frequently produce triplets according to VanCamp She says the ewes are excellent mothers putting everything into the lamb     “They look starved because they milk so well ” she says “They have a nice tight udder that stays high ”     VanCamp reports some ewes still lambing at 8 or 9 years with anything over 10 considered gravy Ewes will reach 150 to 175 lbs with rams topping out at 25 to 30 percent more The first shearing commonly produces 4 to 5-lb fleeces     “It is a wonderfully fine fleece used by spinners for wool lace and ‘next to the skin’ cloth ” says VanCamp “It is more of an open fleece that doesn’t grow on the belly and has very low grease weight If it rains the sheep get wet to the skin and if dirt or hay drops on them they usually shake it out ”     She says full-grown Bluefaced Leicesters can handle the cold fine though their bare ears can freeze She reports selecting her animals for cold weather survival However she notes that the light open fleece makes the breed ideal for Southern breeders looking for heat tolerance     She reports having no problem finding buyers for lambs culled from the breeding herd Bred or proven breeding ewes sell for around $500 with a yearling ram selling for between $500 and $600     Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Pitchfork Ranch 4190 W Cook Rd Swartz Creek Mich 48473 ph 810 655-4091; mavaca@usol com; www pitchfork org

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.