Lincoln

The Lincoln is a big, dual-purpose longwool that hails from eastern England. Mature rams tip the scales well past 250 pounds, putting the breed among the heaviest sheep going around. What sets it apart is the fleece: long, lustrous wool that falls in distinct ringlets or locks, with a longer staple than any other breed can grow.

Producers keep Lincolns for wool, meat, and crossbreeding. Hand spinners and fibre artists chase the fleece for its sheen and length, while the solid frame turns out a decent carcase. Breeders worldwide have used Lincolns to lift size and fleece weight in other longwool and crossbred flocks, Australian studs among them.

Temperament-wise, the Lincoln is easygoing and unhurried. These sheep move at their own pace, handle well, and don't rattle around people, which suits anyone after a placid animal rather than a flighty one on the place.

Who it's suited to

The Lincoln suits producers with the paddock space and feed to carry a large sheep, and who want a heavy, high-value fleece to show for it. The calm nature makes the breed manageable for hobby farmers and fibre enthusiasts, though the size and the grooming a long fleece demands mean it's not the right fit for anyone after a low-input, set-and-forget mob.

The Lincoln takes its name from Lincolnshire, the county in eastern England where long-fleeced sheep had grazed the fertile lowland pastures for centuries. These early longwools were solid, heavy-boned animals valued for wool and mutton alike.

During the agricultural improvements of the 18th century, breeders reworked the old Lincolnshire sheep into something more uniform. Crossing with Robert Bakewell's improved Leicester stock tightened up the conformation and lifted meat quality while holding onto that long, heavy fleece.

By the 19th century the Lincoln was a recognised breed in its own right and one of the most influential longwools around. It was exported far and wide, including to Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States, where breeders used it to add frame size and wool weight to local flocks and to help found new crossbred types. Lincoln blood sits in the background of several Australian sheep lines developed for wool and dual-purpose production.

The Lincoln is a comparatively rare breed today and features on watch lists kept by conservation groups, but fibre producers and pedigree breeders keep the longwool tradition going.

The Lincoln has a broad, rectangular body set on short, sturdy legs. The head is bold with a wide muzzle, and both rams and ewes are usually polled. A characteristic forelock of wool falls over the forehead. The overall picture is of a heavy, low-set animal built to carry a serious fleece.

Coat and colours

The fleece is the breed's calling card. Wool grows in long, wavy locks with a strong lustre and can produce annual fleece weights of around 12 to 20 pounds. White is the standard colour, but coloured Lincolns ranging from silver-grey through to near black are bred for hand spinners after naturally pigmented fibre. The face and legs stay clean of wool, with the heavy fleece concentrated over the body.

Lincolns have an even, good-natured disposition. They're slow-moving and unhurried, and they settle around people quickly, which makes routine handling, shearing, and health checks straightforward. This isn't a flighty breed prone to panicking the way some hill breeds can be.

Within the mob, Lincolns are sociable and graze quietly together. Around handlers they're tolerant and easy to lead with a feed bucket. Toward dogs and other stock they're generally placid, though like all sheep they rely on the flock for security and do best run in groups rather than kept alone. Rams are big animals and deserve normal caution during joining, but as a breed the Lincoln is rated one of the more manageable large sheep to have on the place.

Grooming

• Shear at least once a year; some producers shear twice to keep the long staple manageable in our climate.
• Check the fleece regularly for matting, seed and vegetable matter, and dampness, especially over the back and rump.
• Skirt and store fleeces carefully if selling to hand spinners, since the wool is the breed's main earner.
• Trim hooves on a regular schedule to head off overgrowth and foot problems.

Exercise

• Provide plenty of grazing; Lincolns are heavy sheep and need room to move and feed.
• Rotate paddocks to maintain pasture quality and cut the parasite load.
• Give daily access to open ground rather than close yarding.

Environment

Lincolns do well on lowland country with good grass and reasonably dry footing. The dense fleece offers protection through cold, wet spells, but it also holds moisture, so clean, well-drained ground and dry shelter help head off skin and foot trouble. In hot inland districts shade matters just as much: a heavy fleece traps heat, and Lincolns can struggle on stinking hot days without shade cloth, trees, or open-sided shelter and constant access to water. Fencing needs to be stock-proof to hold a large, strong animal.

As a large grazing breed, the Lincoln gets most of its nutrition from forage. Good pasture through the growing season and quality hay over winter form the backbone of the diet. Because the animals are big and carry heavy fleeces, they need adequate energy and protein to hold condition without tipping into overfat. Concentrate feed is best kept for periods of higher demand rather than fed as a matter of course.

Treats and supplements

Provide a sheep-specific mineral supplement and clean water at all times, topped up more often in hot weather. Selenium and other trace elements may be needed where local soils run short. Introduce any grain or lush new pasture gradually to avoid digestive upset and bloat.

The Lincoln is a robust, long-lived sheep with a typical lifespan of 10 to 12 years. Most health concerns trace back to the heavy fleece and large frame rather than any inherited weakness. Regular shearing, parasite management, and foot care keep most Lincolns in good nick.

Preventive care

• Shear annually and skirt the fleece to keep the wool clean.
• Trim hooves regularly and check feet early for footrot.
• Keep up a drenching and grazing-rotation plan based on faecal egg counts.
• Vaccinate against clostridial disease as your local vet recommends.
• Provide the right minerals, keeping copper intake in check.

Lincolns reach breeding maturity at around 7 to 12 months, though ewes are commonly joined for the first time at about 18 months to let the big frame finish developing. Joining is seasonal, typically in autumn, so lambs arrive in spring. Gestation runs roughly 145 to 150 days.

Litter size usually runs to one or two lambs; twins are common in well-conditioned ewes, while triplets are less frequent. Lincoln lambs are large at birth, so ewes need to be in good condition and watched closely at lambing. Ewes are generally attentive mothers with plenty of milk, and lambs grow fast on the dam and good pasture. Given the breed's size, careful selection and body-condition management help keep both lambing ease and growth rates on track.