About The Texel Sheep
The Texel sheep originated on the isle of Texel, the largest of the Frisian Islands off the north coast of The Netherlands. The exact origin of the breed is unknown although it is thought to be a cross of multiple English breeds. It was slowly bred into a meat breed of outstanding carcass quality. It is now one of the most common meat breeds in The Netherlands making up seventy percent of the national flock.
In the early 1970s, the superior quality of the Dutch Texel caught the attention of some Scottish breeders who were interested in importing Dutch Texels to the UK. They were unable to import the Dutch Texels at the time and instead opted for importing French ones due to import laws. At the end of the decade UK import laws changed and allowed the import of Dutch Texels.
The Texel is a heavily muscled sheep. It produces a lean meat carcase and will pass on this quality to crossbred progeny. The wool is around 32 micron and is mostly used for hosiery yarns and knitting wools .
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