Texel Sheep Society

The British Texel Sheep Society is the largest registry of pedigree Texel sheep in the world. Over 2000 members birth notify 55,000 lambs and register >20,000 females and 1500 males annually, providing data to support genetic evaluations. The Society has pioneered the use of performance recording and the adoption of new technologies to identify and exploit the highest performing genetics.

Society members have led the way in the use of modern technologies in sheep breeding. CT (computed tomography) and routine ultrasound scanning are widely used; and there has been significant investment into novel phenotyping of hard-to-measure traits to help manage health and disease resilience, and carcase quality. The result of this means the breed continues to offer significant solutions to global industries to meet the challenges of increasing productivity, improved carcase quality and increased resilience.

A major focus of the Society is to create solutions to maximise the value of Texel genetic evaluations for the benefit of their breeders, commercial customers and the wider sheep industry; as captured in the Society’s vision for the future:

‘Through leadership and collaboration, increase the financial, animal health and welfare, and environmental benefits of Texel sheep to breeders, commercial farmers, industry, and the public’

Today the Society continues to invest in the future of the sheep industry, undertaking ground-breaking genomic research and development work in several key areas.