Bluefaced Leicester

The Bluefaced Leicester is one of the English Longwool breeds and originated in Northumberland, England in the 1900's. The BFL was originally developed for the production of high quality crossbred ewes. It also was commonly used as a sire bred on blackfaced hill ewes to produce a highly productive crossbred ewe, traditionally called the Mule. They originated from the Border Leicester breed and were bred for the blue face (white hairs on black skin) and a finer fleece. The BFL was primarily found in Northern England, Scotland, and Wales.

An average mature ram weighs approximately 250 pounds and an adult ewe weighs around 175 pounds. The prolificacy of the breed is a result of lambing percentages ranging from 200 to 250 percent.

The BFL wool is considered demi-luster and fine. The fleece is classified as long wool but it can be used to produce high quality luster yarns with drape. The average fleece weight is 2 to 4.5 pounds with a staple length of 5 to 6 inches. BFL wool is curly which makes it considerably lighter than wool from other breeds.

The BFL sheep is a large framed, long-bodied sheep with no wool on their head, neck, belly, and legs. So shearing is easier.