Breed Standards - Texel Sheep Breeders Society

TEXEL SHEEP BREEDERS SOCIETYBREED STANDARDS GOALSTEXELRAMTexelEWES!°t.e-,--4. •1) RAMS SHOULD BE LONG, MASCULINE, STRONG BONED ANDHEAVILY MUSCLED, AS WELL AS ROBUST IN CARRIAGE.2) EWES SHOULD BE MUSCULAR, AND EXHIBIT STRONGFEMININE AND MATERNAL CHARACTERISTICS

0 3) TRAITS COMMON TO ALL BREEDSea) SHEEP SHOULD DEMONSTRATE BALANCE INCONFORMATION. THIS IS BASIC FOR MEAT, WOOLAND BREEDING STOCK PRODUCTION.b) CONFORMATION SHOULD EXHIBIT SUPERIORMUSCLE DEVELOPMENT AND/OR QUALITY WOOLCHARACTERISTICS. WHILE MAINTAININGEFFICIENT REPRODUCTIVE AND EASE OFLAMBING.c) FREE OF EXCESSIVE WRINKLES.d) TEETH SHOULD MEET UPPER PADS EVENLY.e) RAMS SHOULD HAVE A LARGE SCROTALCIRCUMFERENCE AND WELL DEVELOPEDTESTICLES,f) EWES SHOULD HAVE TWO MEDIUM SIZED TEATSWITH AMPLE UDDER CAPACITY.g) THERE SHOULD BE NO SERIOUS ANATOMICAL ORPHYSICAL DEFECTS.TEXEL BREED CHARACTERISTICS:4) GENERAL APPEARANCEa)HEAVY MUSCLED ANIMALSb)ROBUST, HEAVY BONED AND A THICKLY SETBODY-C) MATURE RAMS -225 PLUS POUNDS OF BODY WT.d) MATURE EWES -150 PLUS POUNDS OF BODY WT.o

5) HEADa)POLLED, SCURS OK ON RAMS. WIDE BLACKMOUTH/NOSE PREFERRED.b) EARS SLIGHTLY ERECT, RELATIVELY THICK,WHITE AND HAIRY WITH SOME SPOTS ACCEPTED.c) EYES ALERT WITH BLACK EYE LIDS.d) FREE OF WOOL.e) FLAT CARRIAGE OF HEAD.6) NECKa)MEDIUM LENGTH BLENDING SMOOTHLY INTOTHE SHOULDERS.b) FREE OF EXCESSIVE WRINKLES.•7) SHOULDERSa)FRONT QUARTER IS BROAD AND DEEP — WELLPLACED / BLENDS SMOOTHLY — FORWARDPLACED BREAST BONE.8) CHESTa)DEEP AND WIDE.b) WELL-SPRUNG RIBS.

0 9) BACK, LOIN AND RUMPa)TOP LINE IS STRAIGHT, WIDE AND WELLMUSCLED.b) LOIN IS THICKLY MUSCLED AND WIDE.c) RUMP IS WIDE, LEVEL AND SQUARE.a10) FEET AND LEGSa)WIDE, SQUARELY ATTACHED AND FREEMOVING.b) STRONG FEET AND LEGS.C) HOOVES ARE BLACK, WIDE AND HARD.d) MUSCLING IS WELL DEVELOPED AND LONG.e) FREE OF WOOL FROM KNEES DOWN.11) FLEECEa)WOOL IS FINE AND WELL CRIMPED.b) A TIGHT FLEECE IS DESIRED.C) WHITE, A FEW BLACK SPOTS TOLERATED IFTHEY ARE NO LARGER THAN A QUARTER.d) NO BLACK WOOL IS TOLERATED.e) TEXELS ARE GENERALLY SLICK SHORN FORSHOWING.0

••The standards or goals listed here arc what Texel Breeders are trying toperfect or achieve. It must he understood that in any breeding program, wemay accept less in some traits to gain in other traits. We must also realize asconditions change these standards may also change.The ultimate goal of any breeding program must be the efficientproduction of quality meat and/or wool. This means that we must select forgenetic traits with the best scientific tools available to eventually achieve thehighest level of production.Revised December 2006. Breed Standards Committee:Ron Erdman, ChairmanKerr) , Richardson, Board RepresentativeDon Thomas, Member