the LEADING BREED FOR MEAT MARKETABILITY
This heavily muscled woolen European breed originated in the early 19th century on the Island of Texel, which lies off the coast of the Netherlands. During the first few hundred years of its development, local shows focused on producing the heaviest muscled lambs with superior eating quality. Texels were imported to the US for the first time in 1985 by the USDA Meat Animal Research Center in Nebraska. This early focus on leanness and exceptional muscle development led its reputation as a superior terminal sire, producing lambs with unsurpassed marketability, quality, and yield.
UNMATCHED FEED EFFICIENCY
Texel lambs are known for their efficiency in converting feed into muscle. Gains of around half a pound per day are not uncommon on high quality pasture. Weaning weights on twins are typically in excess of 55 pounds. Slaughter weights of 100+ pounds can be reached by 6-7 months old. |
SUPERIOR CARCASS QUALITY
Texels were originally developed to create a heavily muscled sheep with as little fat as possible. The modern Texel is renowned for its leanness. According to research done by the Clay Center and the University of Wisconsin, Texel-sired lambs generally have a 6 - 10% advantage in loin-eye area when compared to black-faced lambs. Texels also showed advantage in one full leg score and total carcass fat - carrying less fat in every area, especially the difficult-to-remove seam fat. The Texel breed is an exceptional choice for any shepherd, whether you are producing lamb for traditional markets or direct-marketing.
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REMARKABLE BREEDING INFLUENCE
Texels are most commonly used as terminal sires - rams chosen for their carcass quality and growth without consideration for maternal traits (though this doesn't make them poor mothers!). Lambs from terminal sires are sent to market and are not retained in the ewe flock. As observed in our flock and through feedback from consumers, these lambs offer the benefits of improved carcass quality over their purebred Katahdin contemporaries. We use both purebred Texel and 50/50 Texel/Katahdin rams in our flock. |
Our texel PROGRAM
Despite our fondness for our 100% Katahdin ewe flock, we had to accept the fact that the Katahdin lamb cannot compete with traditional meat breeds when it comes to carcass quality. We are a commercial farm producing lamb for discerning customers. We rely on our Katahdin ewes to provide the excellent mothering and hardiness they are known for, while the Texel rams provide the quality meat that our market demands. Our Texel/Katahdin crosses are Yellowbird Farms lamb. The results speak for themselves keeping our products in demand on grocery store shelves, on restaurants' plates, and in consumers' kitchens.