Wensleydale

The Wensleydale ranks among the largest of Britain's native sheep breeds. Farmers keep it chiefly for its longwool fleece and as a crossing sire over hill ewes. The breed takes its name from Wensleydale, a dale in North Yorkshire, and mature rams often weigh well over 130 kg on a tall, upright frame with long legs.

Its fleece sets it apart from every other British breed. The wool grows in long, purled ringlets that hang in even curls the length of the body, and the fibre carries a strong natural sheen. Bare skin on the face, ears and legs shows a deep blue-grey colour through the short hair, which is where the breed earns its 'blue-faced' name.

Handspinners and fibre producers keep the Wensleydale for its kemp-free wool. Commercial breeders use Wensleydale rams over hill ewes to add size, fleece quality and milkiness to the resulting crossbred lambs.

Who it suits

This is a breed for keepers who want a placid, easily handled sheep and who value what the fleece produces. The long wool needs regular shearing and upkeep to stay clean and free of matting, so the Wensleydale suits someone prepared to put in that work rather than anyone after a low-input flock. Breeders producing crossbred lambs, and handspinners who sell or use the wool themselves, choose the breed for the same reasons.

The breed is named after Wensleydale, the North Yorkshire dale where it was developed during the 1800s. Local flocks of longwool and Teeswater-type sheep had grazed the dale for generations, and breeders there worked steadily to improve both fleece and frame.

Everything traces back to one ram, born in 1839 and recorded in breed history as 'Bluecap'. He came from crossing a Dishley Leicester, an improved Leicester Longwool, on a local Teeswater-type ewe. Bluecap carried the dark blue head skin and a long, lustrous fleece himself, and he stamped these traits firmly onto his offspring.

Breeders bred on from Bluecap and his descendants to fix the type, until the blue face and ringlet fleece ran true through the line. The Wensleydale Longwool Sheep Breeders' Association was set up in 1890 to record pedigrees and promote the breed.

Through much of the twentieth century, farmers used the Wensleydale chiefly as a crossing sire to improve hill flocks, and numbers declined as farming practices moved on. The Rare Breeds Survival Trust now lists the Wensleydale among the UK's rare breeds, and pedigree breeders and fibre enthusiasts keep the line going today.

The Wensleydale stands tall and deep through the body, on long, clean legs. Neither rams nor ewes carry horns; both are naturally polled. The head is broad and held high, giving the breed its alert, dignified outline.

What marks the breed out is the colour of the bare skin. Face, ears and lower legs show a deep blue-grey, almost slate, through the short hair covering them. This pigmentation is fixed in the breed and does not vary. Lambs are often born with a darker face that lightens gradually as the fleece fills in.

Coat and colour

The fleece defines the breed more than any other trait. It grows fast, often 20 to 30 cm in a year, and falls in distinct ringlets along the back and sides. The fibre has a strong sheen, carries no kemp, and handspinners prize it for exactly that reason. Fleece colour is normally white, though a recognised black-fleeced variety exists and carries the same blue skin and curl pattern. The face stays clear of wool, with the long fleece starting just behind the poll.

Wensleydales carry a steady, even temperament. Most are docile and tolerate handling well, which makes shearing, foot trimming and fleece checks a good deal easier than with flightier breeds. Keepers often describe the breed as dignified: it holds its head high and moves without fuss.

Sheep that are handled regularly grow quiet and confident around people, and they settle well into a routine. As a flock animal the Wensleydale prefers company and does best kept with other sheep rather than on its own. Rams grow large and powerful, so they need firm, respectful handling and secure fencing, though the breed is not known for aggression.

Around other livestock the Wensleydale stays calm and mixes well on shared grazing. Its size and quiet nature mean it rarely tests fences or challenges other stock, though any large sheep still needs sound boundaries.

Day-to-day care follows ordinary sheep husbandry, though the long fleece adds a job most other breeds do not need. The wool grows quickly and must be kept clean and free of matting, so the Wensleydale needs reliable shearing and regular inspection to stay in good order.

Grooming

• Shear at least once a year; many keepers shear twice to keep pace with the fast-growing fleece
• Check the fleece regularly for matting, caught vegetation and early signs of flystrike, particularly through the warmer months
• Keep the rear end and belly wool clean to cut down on dag build-up and strike risk
• Trim feet to a regular schedule to head off lameness

Exercise

• Give the flock ample pasture for daily grazing and movement
• Rotate grazing to keep forage quality up and parasite burden down
• Allow enough space for a large-framed animal to move about and lie down in comfort

Environment

The Wensleydale needs good grazing, clean water and dry shelter from driving rain and summer heat alike. The dense, long fleece holds moisture readily, so dry standing ground and well-ventilated housing matter more than they might for a shorter-woolled breed. Fencing needs to be secure and built for a large sheep. Shade in summer helps too, since a heavy fleece traps heat.

The Wensleydale is a grazing ruminant that does best on good-quality grass and forage. Well-managed pasture covers most of its needs for much of the year, and hay or silage takes over through winter and any spell when grass runs short. Concentrates come in only in moderation, when demand rises, for ewes in late pregnancy and lactation, or for growing lambs. Sudden changes to the diet should be avoided, as they upset the rumen. Clean water and access to suitable minerals need to be available at all times.

Treats and supplements

Offer a sheep-specific mineral lick or supplement matched to the local soil, with particular attention to selenium and cobalt where soils run short of them. Small amounts of root vegetables suit the winter months. Any treat should stay a minor part of a diet built on forage.

The Wensleydale is a robust breed, typically living 10 to 12 years under good management. Most of its health concerns are shared with sheep generally, though the long, dense fleece raises the risk of flystrike and skin trouble if shearing and grooming fall behind. A planned programme of parasite control, foot care and vaccination keeps a flock in good health.

Preventive care

• Shear on time and check the fleece down to skin level on a regular basis
• Keep to a vet-guided vaccination programme, clostridial cover among it
• Trim and check feet to a routine schedule
• Use faecal egg counts to guide targeted worming
• Provide the right minerals for the local soil and condition-score the flock regularly

The Wensleydale reaches breeding age within its first year, though most keepers hold ewes back until around 18 months, once they are well grown. Mating follows the natural, fixed autumn breeding season, with rams put to the ewes so lambs arrive in spring. Gestation runs to about 145 to 150 days, close to five months.

Ewes usually rear one or two lambs, and twins are common in animals kept in good condition. The breed has a name for good milkiness and mothering ability, and ewes generally raise their lambs without trouble. Lambs come large at birth, in keeping with the size of the breed, so ewes need to be in correct condition and watched closely at lambing time.

Breeders value the Wensleydale chiefly as a crossing sire. Rams go over hill and upland ewes to produce crossbred females, and the cross adds size, fleece quality and milk to the offspring. Where breeders keep the line pure, careful selection maintains the blue face, fleece curl and frame that mark out the breed.