West Kidland Farm
Knowstone, North devon		Contentment is Flavour

Lincoln Longwool Sheep

The Lincoln Longwool is one of the oldest of the Longwool breeds, producing the heaviest and most lustrous fleece (normally weighing in at around 6.5kg). The breed was developed over many generations, and the breed society was formed as early as the 1890's.The main function of the Lincoln Longwool was wool production, and at the end of its productive life, a heavy, tasty mutton carcass. Changes over the last century to the meat and textile markets forced a decline in the Lincoln Longwool, and by 1971 there were only 15 registered flocks and a total of 500 breeding ewes. Currently the Lincoln Longwool is classified as At Risk on the Rare Breeds Watchlist.

The Lincoln is a remarkably "dog-like" sheep and is reasonably prolific with few lambing problems. The carcass is well-fleshed, but the meat is very lean and exceptionally tasty. Our lambs are kept on until they are officially classified as "Hoggetts", at which point they are slaughtered. This ensures that there is a heavy meat carcass with plenty of tasty meat. All the lambs are finished on grass, and only receive supplemental feeding if we have a particularly long, hard winter (see winter of 2009 - snow and lots of it!!). As well as lamb, we also have a supply of mutton, which is increasing in popularity as it is so very tasty. Should you wish to stock up your freezer with some of this very under-rated meat, then please email us and we'll let you know when next we have some available. We will be lambing from the second week in April 2011 - hopefully the weather will have improved slightly by then. If you are interested in watching any lambing, please contact us to discuss! Please check the Our Produce page for the lamb price list.

Please see below for some photos of some of our flock.

Golden Guernsey Goats

The Golden Guernsey is first referred to in an island guide book as early as 1826. During World War II, the last remaining examples of the breed were hidden in caves on the island to prevent them being slaughtered and used as meat to feed invading forces. It is from these that today's stock are predominantly descended. The breed is strong but fine-boned and generally smaller and less wedge-shaped than other breeds. The coat is long or short, and acceptable in both forms by the breed society. Colours vary from very light to very dark gold, with occasional white markings. The Golden Guernsey is classified as a Minority Breed on the Rare Breeds Watchlist.

The Golden Guernsey has a moderate milk yield, but their food intake is less than that of other dairy breeds. Also, the milk is particularly tasty due to a high cream content, and is far better for humans than cow's milk. Goats milk is frequently consumed by those who are lactose intolerant, and is also used in hospitals for cancer patients. The nanny goats, having kidded and weaned their offspring do not necessarily need to be milked every day, but every other day will suffice, so long as the routine is adhered to. She will continue to produce milk if regularly milked, for up to two years, without needing to be "in-kid", which makes the nanny goat a very attractive proposition for smallholders.

This particular breed of goat is particularly adaptable to either free-range (our way, weather permitting!) or housed conditions, and has a very docile nature, making it an ideal breed for the smallholder. For details of kids that we currently have for sale, please see our For Sale page. We also stock a limited amount of kid meat, which is normally sold while still on the hoof!: For those who are interested, please contact us for further information, as there will be kid meat available towards the end of May 2010.

Please see below for a selection of photos of our breeding stock.

Some Photos of our Lincoln Longwools and Golden Guernseys

Lincoln ewe with newborn lamb	Pippin, our Golden Guernsey Billy goat (photo courtesy of Mathilde and Camille leFloch)	Lincoln ewe and (very tired) lamb	Ben Ben, one of our Nanny Goats - with the same long haired, light golden colouring as Pippin