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We have been raising Border Leicester sheep for the past 35 years. To increase the size of the gene pool we have imported New Zealand and Australian bloodlines for the last several years. We feel this has increased the overall size, bone and wool quality of these dual-purpose sheep.

We started with stock which came from New Zealand. Our ewes were Canadian bred but sired by a New Zealand ram. The first two rams used on this farm were purchased from John Riddle who brought his stock directly from Braemore Farm in New Zealand. Therefore the flock has carried these genes for some time.

We strongly believe in a dual purpose animal. Our Border Leicesters have over the years been crossed with black-faced ewes to produce some very nice market lambs. If the markets were right, sometimes the entire flock was used to raise commercial market lambs, but primarily it has been split – the purebred flock and the commercial side of the business.

Since I retired a couple of years ago I decided to put my emphasis on the purebred end of the business. After taking a long hard look at what is now being raised in the United States for Border Leicesters, or at least what I see in the show ring, I decided it was time to go back to our original base for new bloodstock, in this case New Zealand.

We have been fortunate to find that Braemore Farms is still in existence. We have obtained semen from them as well as from a couple of rams from John Kennedy of the Studleigh Farms. Having the entire flock bred on the same day can be rather exciting when lambing time comes but it works for here. We are geared up for that week and it just gets done, mostly at one time. We love it. Time schedules can be worked around that week and we know it will be hectic. Those that do not breed will lamb later depending on when the backup ram was put with them. This is a minor thing. Our colored flock which is not Border Leicester is timed to cycle and lamb with the LAI sheep.