texel sheep

Head. The Texel has a distinctive head type which is useful when identifying progeny. The length of the head from crown to nose is approximately one and a half times the width, nose profile straight or slighty dished, muzzle wide, nostrils flared and black, eyes bold with dark eyelid pigment.

Avoid. Large coarse heads, wide between eyes. Pink noses and thin pink ears. Black spots on face or head. brown face hair. Stretched or excessively short neck.

The short fine hair covering the head of the Texel should be soft and white. Lower jaw should be well developed with incisor teeth meeting the pad at right angles, neither undershot nor overshot . Ears of short to medium size to give alert appearance . Some black spots on ears permissible but not desirable. Horns not permissible.

Shoulders and Chest. Texel Shoulders should be flat on top and no wider than the rib cage. chest clean of heavy brisket to give wedge shaped underline.

Avoid. Heavy open shoulders. Narrow tent shaped shoulders. Pronounced brisket.

Body Length. The aim should be for a body length which gives balanced proportions to the texel with level back and well sprung ribs.

Avoid Slackness behind shoulders. Long narrow body.

Hind Quarter. Area between top of haunch and the tail head should be as long and as wide as proportionately possible and deeply fleshed with accent- uated muscling, This is a high yield area.

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Depth and Width of Loin. The loin should be as wide as possible with the muscle maint- aining width forward to the shoulder, eye muscle which tapers forw- ard to the shoulder is undesirable

Gigot (Hams). The gigot should be as wide and as firm as poss- ible with deep solid muscling down to the hock. This gives a football shaped appearance to the gigot with a high volume of firm meat and well defined muscle groups without a hint of fat.

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Body Length. The Texel body length must be in proportion to the rest of  the  ram,  the  back  level and the ribs well sprung. Although short length texels can give outstanding carcasses they do not produce free moving crossbreed ewes and should be avoided.

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Legs And Feet. The Texel legs should be proportionate to carrying a muscular body with wool not extending below hock or knee and remainder of legs covered with white hair. Back legs should be well sprung from the hock, pasterns have only slight spring and feet with hard black horn and even oval toes meeting the ground squarely.

Avoid. Coarse short cannon bones as short cannon bones have proved to be indication of small pelvic opening and birth difficulties. Bowed front legs and low weak pasterns. Bandy hocks or skewed pasterns Straight back hocks. Cow hocks Pigeon toes. Brown leg hair.

Udders in Ewes. Texel udders should be carried high with medium sized teats pointing forward.

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Testicles in Rams. Avoid using rams with uneven, undersized or soft flabby testicals.

Wool. Purebred Texel wool should fall in the 28 micron to 35 micron range of fibre diameter. Fleece dense with blocky tip and high bulk around 30 cm3/g. The wool should be of good colour with low lustre and well defined crimp and staple formation. Black woolspots on body not permissible.

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Avoid. Hairiness, medullation, hairy tipped and hairy britched fleeces. Black or brown fibre in fleece and skin spots on body which may throw black fibres during times of stress. Weak backs, mushy and poorly crimped fleeces which are prone to fleece rot and discolouration. Fine end and fining of fleeces which are subject to peeling from neck, belly and points. Stretched or excessively short neck.

The link to the left is back to the home page.

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The Link to the right is to the progeny test.

For more information contact: Peter and Marion Black 64(3)224 6059 (Phone/Fax)NZ Leon and Wendy Black 64(3)2246106 NZ

Or - Info@es.co.nz

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