| Scottish Blackface Sheep are a very old hill
breed. The Blackface sheep excels in its ranging ability,
and is unequalled among hill sheep in combining this character
with earliness of maturity, good carcass conformation and
yield, and also with yield of wool. The small hill lamb
is perhaps the finest quality in the world, giving a carcass
free from superfluous fat and waste. This light-weight
carcass is truly a gourmet delight.
Blackface wool is a specialty wool in a class
of its own. It is used in the mattress and upholstery
trades, the carpet trade and the heavy cloth trade, with the
finest Blackface wool going to the famous Harris Tweed trade.
Littledale Scottish Blackface Sheep are hardy
and take the harsh Wisconsin winter in their stride. They
lamb in March/April and the newborn lambs are quick to get up
and nurse, assisted by the ewe's strong mothering
instinct. Lambs are raised on mothers milk and
pasture. The breeding stock is ready in August and market
lambs in September/October.
In 2005 and 2006 we used 3 lines of imported Scottish semen to
enhance the genetics in our Scottish Blackface sheep. The semen
from high index rams was imported from the Gilmanscleuch flock
in Ettrick, Selkirk. This flock is a participant in the
Blackface Sire Reference Co. The results have so far been
outstanding.
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