Lincoln
Lincoln
The fleece of the Lincoln is carried in heavy locks that are often twisted into a spiral near the end. Lincolns should be very well wooled to the knees and hocks, and occasionally some individuals carry wool below these points. The staple length in Lincolns is among the longest of all the breeds, ranging from eight to fifteen inches (20-38 cm) with a yield of 65 to 80 percent. The fleece usually parts over the back on lambs and sometimes on older sheep. Lincolns produce the heaviest and coarsest fleeces of the long-wooled sheep with ewe fleeces weighing from 12 to 20 pounds (5.4-9kg). The fleece has a numeric count of 36 – 46 and ranges from 41.0 to 33.5 microns in fiber diameter. Although coarse and somewhat hair-like, the fleece does have considerable luster.
The Lincoln is usually referred to as the world’s largest breed of sheep. There is little question that the breed is entitled to this distinction because the average weights of the breed are in excess of those of other breeds, although a few individuals of other breeds may sometimes equal their weights. Mature Lincoln rams should weigh from 250 to 350 pounds, and mature ewes will range in weight from 200 to 250 pounds.