Breeders Establish "Curlylock" Wensleydales In N. America

Breeders Establish "Curlylock" Wensleydales In N. America 29-1-9 Wensleydales, an old British sheep breed known for its curlylocks, is being established in North America. The breed is known for its size (ewes top 300 lbs.), mothering, scrapie resistance, and fine, long staple corkscrew wool fibers. "The wool is wonderful to work with for both spinners and felters," says Kay Kratz, Oconomowoc, Wis. "It has a natural luster and picks up dyes beautifully." Kratz has a mix of colors in her flock, with as many as 11 different shades from jet black to pure silver. She shears part of the flock every six months to provide shorter locks to the spinning market and the rest of the flock once a year for long locks for the felting market. Raw wool sells for $7.50/lb., while wool processed for spinning runs $30/lb. With ringlets down to their feet and fleeces of up to 20 lbs. on a yearling, and more as they mature, Wensleydales produce a lot of wool. Unfortunately, until recently there were no Wensleydales to be had in North America. Kratz is one of seven charter members of the North American Wensleydale Sheep Association (NAWSA) who have been trying to change that situation. It's a slow process. It was difficult importing sheep prior to the hoof and mouth disease outbreak, and now it is impossible. Only recently have the doors for semen importation reopened. Since 1999, Kratz and others have been crossing select sheep breeds with Wensleydale semen and then back crossing in hopes of establishing flocks of "near" purebred Wensleydales. Today she has more than 60 ewes with 50 percent or greater Wensleydale bloodlines. This spring she will be breeding a set of twins that are 93 percent Wensleydale. Their lambs will be 96 7/8 percent purebred and registered as purebred North American Wensleydales. NAWSA founders started their flocks using artificial insemination on purebred registered Cotswold, Lincoln or Leicester Longwools. Today, interested breeders can do the same or start with registered crossbreed rams (75 percent or greater) or ewe lambs (50 percent or greater). The association requires the first and final cross to be done through AI with semen imported from Great Britain. Kratz has sold 50 percent ewes for $250 and 68 percent ewes for $300 to $350. She has sold 68 percent rams for $350 and a few 75 percent ram lambs for $350. Her prices are considerably less than at least one other breeder on the Internet, but she prefers to keep her prices low. "I want the breed to be recognized, and the only way to do that is to sell them at reasonable prices," says Kratz. The Wensleydales are easy keepers, doing well on pasture in the summer and only receiving grain at breeding. Kratz has had success breeding her cross breeds in the spring as well as in the fall. This year she bred one group of ewes in August. Mature flocks average 250 percent lambing rates with even ewe lambs commonly producing twins. The breed is naturally polled and Kratz reports no hoof problems or scrapie (a sheep disease) problems. "Wensleydales naturally have the highest resistance to scrapie of all recognized sheep breeds," she says. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Gray Haven Hills, Kay Kratz, W379 N8504 Mill Street, Oconomowoc, Wis. 53066 (ph 262 569-9701; email: kkratz @wensleydales.com).

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.