If you’re a Texel nerd like me, you’re going to love the data—and the anticipation—behind this year’s lamb crop.

First up is one of my favorites and one of our own:
Halbur’s Heavenly Hill #288

He caught my eye all summer and then his amazing growth traits and his stellar Carcass Index earned his place in the breeding program mating with 16 of our ewes this season. I may bring him to the National Texel Sale in Sedalia, MO this June, or I may keep him one more year—it depends on whether I add a black Texel ram to the program.

Here’s the data behind him:

Birthdate: March 18, 2025 (Single)
Actual loin eye (8/25/25): 3.55 at 146 lbs
Adjusted loin eye (120 lbs): 3.24
Post-Weaning Weight EBV: 6.486
Eye Muscle Depth EBV: 0.324
NSIP Carcass Index: 143.82
9/16th UK Genetics

NSIP ID: 6970192025250288 (You can also view his data here)

Pedigree highlights:
Son of Thomas Jefferson (Portland Prairie) — 288 looks tremendously like Thomas Jefferson
Grandson of George Washington (Portland Prairie)
Great-grandson and great-great-grandson of Campbell Trademark

Next up in this year’s Texel stud line-up is James Madison—the ram I purchased at the National Texel Show and Sale in Sedalia last June.

James Madison is from Briar Lane Texels (#208) and earned his spot the old-fashioned way: he scanned with the largest actual and largest adjusted loin eye of all the ram lambs at the sale. That performance is ultimately why I brought him home.

This season, Madison was mated with 31 of my ewes.

Now, full transparency—because that matters.

Madison does not come from a flock enrolled in NSIP. I entered his lineage and available weights for linkage purposes, but because he has no contemporaries, his NSIP values carry low accuracy, and you won’t see full graphs populate in the NSIP search. That lack of contemporaries is something that must be considered when evaluating his data.

Management matters too. Madison was fed grain and alfalfa hay all summer and was not raised on pasture alongside my other rams—so his numbers should be viewed in that context. He is a thick, handsome fella though.

One thing I was very intentional about:
Madison has been genetically tested and is confirmed RR and MM—giving confidence not only for me, but for his offspring and anyone keeping replacements.

Here’s the data behind him:

Birthdate: February 13, 2025 (Single)
Loin eye scan (Sedalia – 6/11/25): 3.79 at 124 lbs
Actual loin eye (8/25/25): 4.42 at 170 lbs 👀
Adjusted loin eye (120 lbs): 3.83
Post-Weaning Weight EBV: 1.279
Eye Muscle Depth EBV: 1.809
NSIP Carcass Index: 105.39
7/16 UK Genetics

NSIP ID: 6970192025BL0208 (You can also view his data here)

Pedigree highlights:
¼ Grougfoot Wizard
⅛ Cambwell Laird
1/16 Handbank Jack the Lad

Next up on the Texel Stud Line-Up is another of my favorites and one of our own:
Halbur’s Heavenly Hill #276.

#276 is a perfect example of what data can reveal that the eye alone can’t. His loin is simply out of the pasture Measuring a 4.48 inches.

His actual loin measurement was larger than James Madison’s, the February ram lamb I purchased at Sedalia—that scanned with the largest adjusted loin eye of the ram lambs at the National Texel Show and Sale and was fed grain all summer long.
#276 grew this loin on all grass.

No offense to James Madison—we’ll never know what he might have done on pasture—but #276 proved what’s possible when genetics and environment line up.

And when some of the other rams were dewormed, #276 was not. He is the last ram remaining from my 2025 lamb crop that demonstrated this level of natural parasite resistance.

Because he’s more closely related to my ewe base, I was only able to mate him with 4 ewes this season. Unless someone snatches him up before then, he should be heading to the National Texel Sale in June, and I can’t wait to see what his loin measures there.

Here’s the data behind him:

Birthdate: March 14, 2025 (Single)
Actual loin eye (8/25/25): 4.48 at 155 lbs 👀
Adjusted loin eye (120 lbs): 4.06
Post-Weaning Weight EBV: 1.279
Eye Muscle Depth EBV: 1.809 👀
NSIP Carcass Index: 130.75
5/16 UK Genetics

NSIP ID: 6970192025250276 http://nsipsearch.nsip.org/#!/details/6970192025250276

Pedigree highlights:
Son of George Washington (Portland Prairie)
Great-grandson of Campbell Trademark

Next up in this year’s Lamb Crop Texel Sire line-up is another one that’s hard to forget—Halbur’s Heavenly Hill #322.

Why #322 Stood Out

#322 is built a lot like Martha Jefferson, the big, powerful yearling ewe I sold at the National Texel Sale last year — residing with Austin at Clay-nob Farms in Pennsylvania now.

They share the same sire: Thomas Jefferson (Portland Prairie)
And #322 absolutely carries that same powerful rear structure and muscle shape.

I’ll be honest — this isn’t the greatest photo, but it gives you a valuable rear view. And yes… valuable lesson learned: don’t put red raddle powder on a ram in the corral tub. Let’s just say he wasn’t the only one covered in red raddle powder.

To give him more justice, I’ve included a fuller body view as well from March 2026 compliments of Janelle.

One thing I absolutely love about #322 — and the butcher shop will too — is his hair-only belly. Who wants to shear lambs before harvest? This guy also shows very minimal wool growth (that makes him appear smaller than the other sires) on his chest, dock area, and overall body, which made him an excellent fit for the Katahdin crossbreeding program he went into.

Where He Went to Work

#322 was mated to 4 of our ewes.
He is very closely related to many of my ewes, so as much as I wanted to use him heavier, I couldn't.

#322 sold to Janelle, a Katahdin breeder in Illinois, who is focused on adding serious muscle to her flock. She also selected two Texel ewes to go with him.

Here’s the Data Behind Him

Birthdate: March 29, 2025 (Twin-his sister is also gorgeous)
Actual Loin Eye (8/25/25): 3.28 at 139 lbs
Adjusted Loin Eye (120 lbs): 3.05
Eye Muscle Depth EBV: 0.006
Post-Weaning Weight EBV: 5.173 👀
NSIP Carcass Index: 131.13 👀
7/16 UK Genetics

NSIP ID: 6970192025250322 http://nsipsearch.nsip.org/#!/details/6970192025250322

Pedigree Highlights
Son of Thomas Jefferson (Portland Prairie)
Great Grandson of Cambell Trademark

Next up in this year’s Lamb Crop Texel stud line-up is Halbur’s Heavenly Hill #303 — a stout, solid-built ram.

#303 is one of those rams that balances carcass value and functional breeding power. He carries a wide, round rear end with dimension and shape — the kind that translates to pounds on the rail and consistency in offspring.

How I Used Him

I used #303 very selectively.

Because of close family ties, only my oldest ewe was bred to him. I had one small pen open and wanted to trial him before he sold to Isaac in Iowa, where he is now breeding Dorsets and Polypays adding Texel muscle to their offspring.

Why He Matters for Breeding Programs

This is the kind of ram that works across systems:

• Adds real muscle without sacrificing function
• Supports commercial maternal flocks needing carcass improvement
• Built stout and durable
• Backed by strong, proven genetics

Here’s the Data Behind Him

Birthdate: March 22, 2025 (Twin — and yes, his sister is beautiful too)
Actual Loin Eye (8/25/25): 3.20 at 135 lbs
Adjusted Loin Eye (120 lbs): 3.02
Post-Weaning Weight EBV: 3.569
Eye Muscle Depth EBV: 1.216
NSIP Carcass Index: 139.57 👀
5/16 UK Influence

NSIP number 6970192025250303 http://nsipsearch.nsip.org/#!/details/6970192025250303

Pedigree Highlights

Son of George Washington (Portland Prairie)
Great Grandson of Cambell Trademark

Last — but definitely not least — in this year’s Texel Sire stud line-up is my newest addition: James Monroe (Portland Prairie).

Monroe is the third ram I’ve purchased from Portland Prairie, and he represents something many of us are craving right now: real, usable data behind the genetics.

This season, Monroe was mated with 28 ewes.

Why Monroe Matters (Especially If You Buy With Data in Mind)

Let’s be honest — buying breeding stock without data can feel like a gamble.

Monroe comes from a fully NSIP-enrolled flock, which means you’re not guessing. You’re working from real population data, real contemporaries, and numbers that actually mean something when you plug them into your breeding decisions.

I’ll be transparent though — Monroe is still a little “green.”

He weighed less than my home-raised ram lambs, but he was also raised in challenging, real-world conditions. These are the kinds of environments that show you what sheep are really made of — and where NSIP numbers become incredibly valuable.

Functional Traits My Customers Care About

Monroe checks boxes that matter in commercial and grass-focused systems:

• Short wool with hair belly — my butcher loves it, and so does my shearer
• Looks smaller than heavy-wool sheep but is carrying real carcass where it counts
• Big, defined rump with a tighter front end (lambing ease) — disproportionate in the right way
• Head that absolutely screams UK influence

And yes — I normally wouldn’t share a dirty rear-end photo, but I wanted you to see the muscle expression; he came that way, and my lush pastures didn’t exactly clean it up.

Here’s the Data Behind Him