Wensleydale

The Wensleydale is among the biggest sheep breeds you'll come across, kept mainly for its long, lustrous fleece and increasingly sought after as a crossing sire. It hails from the Wensleydale district of North Yorkshire in England, and mature rams commonly top 130 kg, standing deep and upright on long legs.

The fleece is what marks the breed out. It grows in long, purled ringlets that hang in even curls the length of the body, and the fibre has a strong natural sheen. The skin on the face, ears, and legs runs a deep blue, showing through the short hair on the head, which is where the "blue-faced" tag comes from.

Handspinners and fibre producers keep the Wensleydale for its kemp-free wool, while commercial flock owners cross Wensleydale rams over hill ewes to add size, fleece quality, and milkiness to the resulting lambs.

Who it suits

This is a breed for keepers who want a placid, easily managed sheep and who value what the fleece brings in. The long wool takes upkeep and shearing to stay clean and free of matting, so it suits someone able to commit time to regular care rather than anyone after a low-input flock. Breeders producing crossbred lambs, and handspinners who sell or work the wool themselves, also go for the Wensleydale.

The Wensleydale takes its name from Wensleydale, a dale in North Yorkshire, England, where the breed was developed through the 1800s. Local longwool and Teeswater-type sheep had long been kept in the area, and breeders there set about improving both fleece and frame.

The line traces back to one ram, born in 1839 and generally recorded as "Bluecap". He came from a Dishley Leicester, an improved Leicester Longwool, put to a local Teeswater-type ewe. Bluecap carried the dark blue head skin and a long, lustrous fleece, and he passed both on strongly to his offspring.

Breeders worked with Bluecap's descendants to fix the type, and the blue face and ringlet fleece became consistent right across the line. The Wensleydale Longwool Sheep Breeders' Association was set up in 1890 to record pedigrees and promote the breed.

For much of the 20th century the Wensleydale served mainly as a crossing sire to improve hill flocks, and numbers dropped as farming practices changed. It is now listed as a rare breed in the United Kingdom, kept going by pedigree breeders and fibre enthusiasts who maintain the line.

The Wensleydale is tall and deep in the body, standing on long, clean legs. Both rams and ewes are naturally polled, with no horns on either. The head is broad and held high, giving the breed an alert, dignified look.

The skin colour is what sets it apart. The face, ears, and lower legs show a deep blue-grey, close to slate, coming through the short hair. This pigment is fixed in the breed. Lambs are often born with a darker face that lightens as the fleece fills in.

Coat and colours

The fleece is the breed's calling card. It grows long, often 20 to 30 cm in a year, falling in distinct ringlets along the back and sides. The fibre has a good sheen, is free of kemp, and handspinners prize it highly. The standard fleece is white, though a recognised black-fleeced type exists too and carries the same blue skin and curl. The face is normally clear of wool, with the long fleece starting behind the poll.

The Wensleydale has a steady, even temperament. Sheep of this breed are generally docile and take handling well, which makes jobs like shearing, foot trimming, and fleece checks a good deal easier than with flightier breeds. The breed is often called dignified, carrying its head high and moving without much fuss.

Once well handled, Wensleydales settle quietly and confidently into a routine. As a flock animal it prefers company and does better kept with other sheep than on its own. Rams grow large and powerful, so they need careful, respectful handling and secure fencing, though the breed isn't known for aggression.

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

Day-to-day care follows ordinary sheep husbandry, but the long fleece means extra work. The wool has to be kept clean and free of matting, and it grows fast, so the breed needs reliable shearing and regular checking.

Grooming

• Shear at least once a year; some keepers shear twice to keep on top of the fast-growing fleece
• Check the fleece regularly for matting, vegetation, and signs of flystrike, especially 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 plenty of pasture for daily grazing and movement
• Rotate grazing to keep forage quality up and parasite load down
• Allow room 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 heavy rain and heat. The dense, long fleece holds moisture, so dry standing ground and well-ventilated housing matter. Fencing needs to be secure and built for a large sheep. Provide shade in summer, as a heavy fleece piles on the heat.

The Wensleydale is a grazing ruminant and does best on good grass and forage. For most of the year, well-managed pasture covers the bulk of its needs. Hay or silage sees it through winter and any spell when grass is scarce. Meal is added in moderation when demand runs high, such as 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 on hand at all times.

Treats and supplements

Offer a sheep-specific mineral lick or supplement suited to the local soil, with an eye on selenium and cobalt levels where the ground runs short of them. A few root vegetables can be given over winter. Any treat should stay a small part of a diet built on forage.

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

Preventive care

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

The Wensleydale reaches breeding age inside its first year, though ewes are usually first put to the ram at around 18 months once properly grown. Mating follows the natural, fixed autumn breeding season, with rams put to ewes so lambs arrive in spring. Gestation runs about 145 to 150 days, close to five months.

Ewes typically have one or two lambs, with twins common where the ewe is in good condition. The breed is noted for good milk and mothering ability, and ewes generally rear their lambs well. Lambs are large at birth, given the size of the breed, so ewes need to be in the right condition and watched closely at lambing.

The Wensleydale is well regarded as a crossing sire. Rams go over hill and upland ewes to produce crossbred females, with the cross adding size, fleece quality, and milk to the offspring. For pure breeding, careful selection keeps the blue face, fleece curl, and frame that define the breed.