I am looking to cross a Bluefaced Leicester ram into the flock and was curious what anybody might know about this breed...good or bad. Calvin
I know it's a popular wool breed. I've only ever owned one Liecester, and I wasn't very impressed with her! My vet had a dandy Leicester ram though!
HI Calvin, I am a Bluefaced Leicester breeder, so of course I am somewhat biased in my opionions, but this is my opinion of the BFL as a crossing sire: We bought our first ram several years ago after researching. We were looking for prolificacy, length, capacity, milking ability, growth rate of lambs, mothering ability to improve upon our tough little Cheviot mothers. The crosses have been everything we hoped for, hardy and easy care like the Cheviots, but much more productive and gentler. Though it was not something I was interested in at the time, we also improved the quantity and quality of our wool, as well. We liked the cross so much that we decided to join in the effort to save the breed in the US, where there were very few numbers, and very closely related. There have been several rams' semen imported, and the resulting offspring are greatly improved, with larger bodies and better carcass quality, as well as improved vigor. Don't get Bluefaced Leicesters mixed up with English Leicesters or Border Leicesters, they are very different sheep! You can find more info on BFL in the US at the breed registry website www.bflsheep.com Lisa Rodenfels SomerhillFarm www.geocities.com/somerhillfarms/home.html
