Breed: Millennium Bleu
The Millennium Bleu is principally a terminal sire and is generally a cross of a registered Beltex ram on a registered Bleu ewe, although the reverse is also acceptable. The sheep have the carcase quality of the Beltex, with the stretch, lift and length of the Bleu. They retain the excellent locomotion of the Bleu along with the all outmuscling of the Beltex to produce a modern commercial sheep. The breed stays true to colour marking, the heads mainly with a tinge of blue and popularity grows year on year.
Generally white in colour with a distinctive blue tinge.
Teeth should ideally be short, straight and sit directly on the dental pad. Deviations either forward or back are undesirable.
The neck should be short and thicker than the pure Bleu leading to a well muscled shoulder and wide back. The Bleu gives the MB a longer body with well rounded gigots, a low set tail and well fleshed hindquarters traditionally associated with the Beltex.
Legs should straight and sound, legs are usually white, again can have a blue tinge and feet should be well shaped.
Tight and dense, with a medium staple length, giving the new born lamb more covering than the pure Bleu.
At the Council meeting on 25th October, 2018 the breed protocol was widely discussed and it has been agreed that after 2020 the Society will not accept registrations of “pure” MB’s and will only permit the first cross to be registered and sold under the Societies’ banner. This will allow “pure” MB’s to be sold at the society sales up to 2021 .
