The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: namethatsheep on July 29, 2015, 08:57:00 pm
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Yes, I mean Black Texels not Blue Texels. I went to the Carnwath Show (South Lanarkshire) last Saturday and there were at least five Black Texels (two tups and three gimmers). Head and legs completely black with dark brown wool. Apparently, the sheep were descended from Texel x Shetland (black) some generations ago. The stock had the conformation of Texels and apart from colour there is nothing to suggest the Shetland heritage. I was advised that BT x BT generates as many all white as all black off-spring with no balance in favour of tups. It therefore seems to me that there is no colour dominance. I wished that I had had the camera to share some shots. I've never been a fan of Texels (or indeed continental breeds) but these sheep have almost changed my view - amazing what a change of colour can do in altering the appearance and profile of the familiar.
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Ive had black lambs out of Hebrideans on pedigree texel (my ram escaped and out-rammed the texel rams) and I had to buy the resulting lambs.
They were basically Black texels but with narrow heads and horns.
used the tup (black) from this mating as a breeding tup and he throws 3/4 hebs but with an extra 5-7kg on that finish in 8 months not 14, and on a texel he gives 3/4 texels that are usually black or mottled (never pure white) and look just like a texel
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This go's to prove the old and sometimes rare breeds still have a place in the modern commercial flock/ breeding system!
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I have a friend who keeps blue texels, they're much nicer than the normal ones. I considered keeping some meself, but decided no when i thought how delicious my own sheep taste and how much prettier my own sheep are. I didn't know that you could get black texels, i guess you learn something new every day. :)
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Here's a photo of a black texel lamb
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where is his piggy nose?
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I'd like to get hold of some fleece... :excited: :spin: :knit:
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I put a texel over my Jacob ewes and was surprised to get jet black lambs who have faded to a rich chocolate brown. And lovely chunky lambs they are too.
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I have found the Jacob black is always dominant, whether from the tup on white fleece ewes or as has happened this year, a Hampshire tup on my Jacob ewes. Completely black lambs in both cases.
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I put a texel over my Jacob ewes and was surprised to get jet black lambs who have faded to a rich chocolate brown. And lovely chunky lambs they are too.
One of our neighbours has Jacobs as well as Texels and yes, all the first cross offspring are black. I've had one or two nice fleeces off them too ;) :excited: :spin:
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I once crossed a lleyn tup with a zwartbles ewe and the ewe lamb from that cross was stunning, jet black with a beautiful confirmation. I took her to mart and got next to nothing from her cause of her colour :rant: I should have sold her to more appreciative folk like yourselves :)