 A small flock of Teeswater sheep, Ingleby Greenhow | |
| Conservation status | Vulnerable[1] |
|---|---|
| |
The Teeswater is a breed of sheep from Teesdale, England.[2] It is a longwool breed that produces a generally large-diameter fibre.[3] However, the animals are raised primarily for meat.[4]
Teeswater sheep have been bred in northern England for about two hundred years;[citation needed] the breed was rare by the 1920s[clarification needed], but has seen a renaissance since World War II.[citation needed] The Rare Breeds Survival Trust has categorised the breed as "at risk".[1]
The Teeswater Sheep Breeders' Association was formed in 1949 with the aim to encourage and improve the breeding of Teeswater sheep; to maintain their purity and particularly to establish the supremacy of Teeswater rams for crossing with hill sheep of other breeds for the production of half-bred lambs.
- ^ a b "Teeswater". Watchlist. Rare Breeds Survival Trust.
- ^ "History". Teeswater Sheep Breeders Association Limited. Archived from the original on 2008-09-25. Retrieved 2009-05-04.
- ^ "Kinds of Sheep". Sheep 101. Retrieved 2011-05-05.
- ^ "Teeswater/United Kingdom". Breed Data Sheet. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System. Retrieved 2009-09-09.