Texel Sheep Royalty-Free Stock Image

The Texel originated on the Isle of Texel off the coast of the Netherlands early in the nineteenth century. They became available to U. S. sheep producers in 1990 when they were released from quarantine at the U. S. Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center, Nebraska, where they were evaluated for their potential in crossbred lamb production. The most outstanding characteristics of the Texel are its remarkable muscle development and leanness. Texel-sired lambs show an advantage of one full leg score in breed comparisons and less total carcass fat—especially seam fat. The Texel has become the dominant terminal-sire breed in Europe and is gaining popularity as a sire breed in the United States.