THE LEICESTER BREED

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 192, 15 August 1931, Page 20 (Supplement)

THE LEICESTER BREED

AN UNOFFICIAL DESCRIPTION. Points of the Leicester sheep are de- < tailed in the latest volume of the flock book of the Leicester Sheep Associa- : tion recently issued in England. The official description is as follows: Lips and nostrils dark, preferably black; the nose well defined, and the general form of the face somewhat, wedge shaped, broad between the eyes, which should be clear, kindly and welldefined. openly set, and symmetrical with the nose, ears and crown. The nose should be covered with short, white ; hairs, without any trace of grey or sand ‘ colour. The crown of the head, should bp. well covered, with wool of a similar texture to that of other parts of the fleece, in fact the fleece should actually continue to and cover the crown of the head. The ears should be thin and fairly large in proportion to the breadth of the forehead, of a good deep brown or blue, with occasional black spots on one or both ears. The neck should be short and thick, tapering from the skull to the shoulders and bosom; the breast deep, wide and prominent; the shoulders somewhat- high, ; wide and level over the top, with an extensive width through the heart, well sprung ribs, and wide loins and buttocks. /■ The tail should be set well up to the quarters, deep and full-fleshed, and of considerable substance. There should be excellent legs of mutton, well d - veloped from the hocks, the carcase being deep and of considerable length. The legs, as the nose, should be covered with short white hairs from the hocks and knees downwards, free from grey hairs, and not speckled in any ■ way; they should possess a fair amount of bone, and be well and squarely set, the pasterns short on neat, dark feet. , The fleece should present a fine lustre of even texture and quality from head to thigh, of well-curled and moderate flake of long, silky wool. The general form of the carcase is rectangular; head and legs squarely set, hocks rather straight, rump, loin, back, shoulders and neck symmetrical.