Wensleydale Sheep
Wensleydale longwool sheep are very large. Wensleydales have long lustrous wool that hangs in tight ringlets. Wensleydale wool is prized by hand spinners. It is long, lustrous, and strong. Wensleydale wool is also free from kemp (the short, weak, itchy fibers found in other wools) so it can be worn comfortably next to the skin. A dual purpose breed, the Wensleydale breed is traditioinally used as a wool-improving sire, bred to ewes of other long wool sheep to improve the quality of the wool and carcas. Wensleydale sheep pass along their large size, long lusterous, and kemp free wool, and their dark blue faces and ears.
We currently have three Wensleydale sheep at Long Wool Ranch. We produce fleece, roving, top, yarn and doll hair for sale. We will also have Wensleydale sheep for sale. We are starting with one black ewe and two white lamb ewes. We will be breeding up using imported Wensleydale semen from Great Britian as per the North American Wensleydale Sheep Association's guidelines. Our lambs are 81% and 78%, and our Black Ewe is 75% blood. Our flock will continue to grow toward pure Wensleydale blood.
Wensleydale Wool
The finest, most valuable luster longwool.
Wensleydale sheep at Long Wool Ranch produce some of the best wool in the world for hand-spinning, knitting, weaving, felting, and doll hair. Available from both white and black sheep, wensleydale wool can also have a silvery finish from a black sheep. Our wool has tight even curls and high lustre making it very desireable to spin into yarns of all sizes. It is kemp free, which means it has non of those weak scratchy fibers, and can be worn comfortably next to the skin!
Our Wensleydale sheep are bred up using 100% Wensleydale semen imported from the UK, so we are continuously increasing the wuality of our wool supply and breeding stock. Our current ewes are of 75% to 81% Wensleydale blood and show all the desireable traits of purebred Wensleydale sheep.
