WHAT CAN WENSLEYDALES DO FOR YOU?

Yearling ewe in full fleece.

MULTIPLY LAMBING PERCENTAGE
250% in purebreds

INCREASE CARCASS QUALITY
lean, well-muscled lambs

IMPROVE CARCASS SIZE
hybrid vigor enhances growth

IMPART MILDER MEAT FLAVOR
a preference of many

GIVE WOOL MORE LUSTER
valued by wool customers

BOOST WOOL YIELDS & QUALITY
increase your profits

A BARN FULL OF PUREBREDS!

Ten years ago, it hardly seemed the time would come that I would finally have purebred lambs born. This upgrading project to obtain purebred American Wensleydale sheep has been a challenge because I could never count on how many quality females would be born each year to advance the program another level. Although I did have purebreds born in 2008, this year I had four beautiful purebred ewe lambs born and I see them as the future foundation of my purebred flock. Many believe that as the generations progress, the fleece must certainly become more “Wensleydale-like”. This is not necessarily the case. On paper, although you can document a particular percentage of Wensleydale blood, Mother Nature doesn’t read and genes are not inherited in an absolute or predictable manner. Some sheep of a lower generation – 75% or 87% - look amazingly like the U.K. purebred animal. But it is also the case that you may have a high percentage animal whose fleece seems to have digressed in its movement toward purebred. All along, it has been an interesting exercise and I am optimistic that now with these purebreds, I will see a typical Wensleydale fleece on every animal.