Introduction to Our Breed Partners
Pioneers of Quality Lamb Production
At Native British Lamb 365 Limited, we are proud to collaborate with a select group of breed partners who exemplify the best of British sheep farming. These partnerships are not just beneficial but essential in driving high standards and quality in lamb production throughout the United Kingdom.
Our breed partners include some of the most respected names in the industry, each contributing unique characteristics and qualities that enhance our product offerings. From the hardy and resilient characteristics of the Scottish Blackface sheep to the exceptional flavour profile of the Suffolk Sheep, these sheep are integral to our mission of bringing top-tier lamb to consumers all year round.
By working closely with our breed partners, we ensure that the lamb we provide is not only sustainable but also embodies the rich heritage of British agriculture. Discover more about each of our breed partners and their vital role in shaping the future of lamb production with Native British Lamb 365 Limited.
Breed Descriptions
SWALEDALE
Swaledale’s are the most numeric hill breed in the North of England. They have a black face with a white muzzle and white markings around their eyes. Both ewes and rams have a set of low, round horns. Swaledale’s originated from the Yorkshire Dales over 100 years ago. They have fantastic maternal qualities, prolificacy, great milking ability and calm natured. They are the Mother of The North of England Mule.
CHEVIOT
The ewe has fine hard white hair on her face, over the crown and on her legs which should have a fine, flat quality bone. It is a very alert, active sheep, with a stylish, lively carriage. The fleece should be dense and firm with no kemp or coloured hair. The rams can have horns.
SCOTTISH BLACKFACE
An iconic breed originating in Scotland’s wild landscapes, the Blackface is an important part of our native upland ecosystems. Often referred to as the backbone of the Scottish sheep industry, the hardy and maternal Blackface thrives in low-input farming systems and is the mother of the Scotch Mule, being pivotal to the sheep stratification system.
NORTH COUNTRY CHEVIOT
The North Country Cheviot is a large, robust white sheep known for its hardiness and health, as well as its prolific nature and strong maternal instincts. As the largest among the UK Hill breeds, it thrives in grassy hills and uplands, although it can adapt to a variety of environments. With two distinct types available, there is an option to suit every situation.
NORTH OF ENGLAND MULE
The North of England Mule is a cross-bred sheep sired by the Bluefaced Leicester ram with either a Swaledale or Northumberland type Blackface dam - all famed for their hardiness, thriftiness and longevity. The North of England Mule is renowned for her ability to rear ample crops of lambs even under the harshest conditions with minimal attention, offering ease of shepherding.
BLUE FACED LEICESTER
The Bluefaced Leicester is and continues to be the dominant crossing sire in the UK, producing first cross Mules, when mated to many different breeds. The Bluefaced Leicester provides the lynch pin in the renowned stratified sheep system that has operated in the UK for centuries. It provides a flow of breeding stock from the hills and uplands that are crossed with the Bluefaced Leicester to produce male lambs for slaughter at heavy weights and Mule ewes for low ground commercial flocks.
ROUGH FELL
The Rough Fell Sheep are a large, hardy hill breed. Native to north west England, they are a horned sheep with bonny black and white head and leg markings. They have a white durable fleece, which is excellent for dyeing.
Noted for there quiet nature, freedom of disease, easy lambing, fantastic mothering ability and excellent growth rate. Making the Rough Fell a great cross for terminal sires or mule breeding alike.
SCOTCH MULE
The Scotch Mule is a crossbred ewe produced by crossing the hardy, popular Blackface ewe with the prolific Bluefaced Leicester. By maximizing hybrid vigour of these breeds we have a low-maintenance, motherly, milky and versatile sheep that is great at producing fat lambs from milk and grass from many terminal sire breeds.
SUFFOLK
The Suffolk is the number one traditional British breed terminal sire in today’s sheep industry delivering fast growth from grass meeting the processing industry demand for R3L carcasses and the very top of meat-eating quality
We need your consent to load the translations
We use a third-party service to translate the website content that may collect data about your activity. Please review the details in the privacy policy and accept the service to view the translations.