Lincoln

The Lincoln is a large, dual-purpose longwool sheep that hails from eastern England. Mature rams often top 250 pounds, putting the breed among the heaviest sheep kept anywhere. What sets it apart is the fleece: long, lustrous wool that falls in distinct ringlets, with a longer staple than any other breed can manage.

Irish flock owners keep the Lincoln for its wool, its meat, and its usefulness in crossbreeding. Hand spinners rate the fleece highly for its sheen and length, and the heavy frame gives a decent carcass besides. Lincoln genetics have travelled well too, adding size and fleece weight to longwool and crossbred flocks around the world.

Temperament-wise, the Lincoln is placid and unhurried. These sheep move at their own pace, handle easily, and don't spook at people, which suits anyone after a steady animal rather than a flighty one.

Who it suits

The Lincoln suits keepers with the land and feed to carry a large sheep, and who want a heavy fleece worth good money. Its easy nature makes it manageable for smallholders and fibre enthusiasts, though the size and the grooming a long fleece demands mean it's not the breed for anyone after a low-maintenance flock.

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

During the agricultural improvements of the 18th century, breeders set about refining the old Lincolnshire sheep into something more consistent. Crossing with Robert Bakewell's improved Leicester stock tightened up the conformation and improved the meat while keeping the long, heavy fleece intact.

By the 19th century the Lincoln had become an established breed and one of the most influential longwools going. It was exported far and wide, to Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States among others, where breeders used it to add frame and fleece weight to local flocks and to found new crossbred types.

The Lincoln remains a fairly rare breed today, flagged as one to watch by conservation bodies, but it's still kept by fibre producers and pedigree breeders who carry on the longwool tradition.

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 forelock of wool falls over the forehead, a trait that marks the breed out at a glance. The overall look is of a heavy, low-set animal built to carry a serious fleece.

Coat and colours

The fleece is what the breed is known for. Wool grows in long, wavy locks with a strong sheen and can yield annual fleece weights of around 12 to 20 pounds. White is the standard colour, but coloured Lincolns, ranging from silver-grey to near black, are bred for hand spinners after naturally pigmented fibre. The face and legs stay clear 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 without much fuss, which makes shearing, health checks, and everyday handling straightforward. This isn't a breed that panics or bolts the way some hill sheep do.

Within the flock, Lincolns graze quietly together and get on well as a group. Around handlers they're tolerant and easy enough to lead with a bit of feed. They're generally placid around dogs and other livestock too, though like any sheep they look to the flock for security and do best kept in numbers rather than on their own. Rams are big animals and deserve the usual caution during the breeding season, but taken as a whole, the Lincoln is reckoned one of the more manageable large sheep breeds.

Grooming

• Shear at least once a year; some keepers shear twice to keep the long staple manageable.
• Check the fleece regularly for matting, plant debris, and dampness, especially over the back and rear end.
• Skirt and store fleeces carefully if selling on to hand spinners, since the wool is where most of the breed's value lies.
• Trim hooves on a regular schedule to head off overgrowth and foot trouble.

Exercise

• Provide plenty of grazing; Lincolns are heavy sheep and need room to move and feed.
• Rotate pasture to keep forage quality up and cut the parasite burden.
• Give daily access to open ground rather than keeping them closely penned.

Environment

Lincolns do well on lowland farms with good grass and reasonably dry ground underfoot. The dense fleece gives protection against cold and wet, but it also holds moisture, so clean, well-drained land and dry shelter help keep skin and feet in good order. Fencing needs to be stock-proof, as this is a large, strong animal.

As a large grazing breed, the Lincoln takes most of its nutrition from forage. Good pasture through the growing season and quality hay over winter form the backbone of the diet. Because these are big animals carrying heavy fleeces, they need enough energy and protein to hold condition without running to fat. Concentrate feed is best kept for times 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. Selenium and other trace elements may need topping up where the local land runs short. Bring in any grain or lush new pasture gradually to avoid digestive upset and bloat.

The Lincoln is a robust, long-lived sheep, typically reaching 10 to 12 years of age. 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 order.

Preventive care

• Shear every year and skirt the fleece to keep the wool clean.
• Trim hooves regularly and check feet early for signs of footrot.
• Keep up a worming and grazing-rotation plan based on faecal monitoring.
• Vaccinate against clostridial diseases as advised by your vet.
• Provide the right minerals, keeping copper within safe limits.

Lincolns reach breeding maturity at around 7 to 12 months, though ewes are commonly held back until about 18 months so the large frame has time to develop. Mating is seasonal, mainly in autumn, so lambs arrive in spring. Gestation runs roughly 145 to 150 days.

Litter size is usually one or two lambs; twins are common in ewes carrying good condition, while triplets turn up less often. Lincoln lambs are large at birth, so ewes need to be in good condition and watched closely at lambing time. Ewes tend to be attentive mothers with plenty of milk, and lambs grow on fast given the dam and decent grazing. Given the breed's size, careful selection and body-condition management help keep both lambing and growth rates on track.