The county of
Lincolnshire has had a strong connection with the
wool trade since
Mediaeval times: the
City of Lincoln was one of the
staple towns designated in the
Ordinance of the Staple of 1353. The sheep have been exported to a number of other countries, among them Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, New Zealand, Paraguay, the Russian Federation,
Tajikistan, the United States and South Africa. The only substantial populations of the sheep are reported by Argentina, with , and by New Zealand, with . In the United Kingdom a total of 675 ewes was reported for 2024, of which 251 were registered in the
herd-book. The
conservation status of the breed in the United Kingdom in 2025 was listed in
DAD-IS as "at risk/endangered", while on the watchlist of the
Rare Breeds Survival Trust it was one of six breeds of sheep listed as "priority", the highest level of concern of the trust. The Lincoln has influenced sheep husbandry in many countries, often through
cross-breeding with
Merino stock. It has contributed to the development of new breeds including the
Corriedale of New Zealand, the
Kalinin, the
Liski, the
Soviet Mutton-Wool and the
Tyan Shan of the former Soviet Union, and the
Columbia and the
Targhee of the United States. == Characteristics ==