As a bonus, these sheep don’t need to have their tails docked.įleece.
Many of the rat-tailed sheep (Romanov, Finn, Friesian, Icelandic and Shetland) have litters of three to four lambs, rather than just a single or twin lambs like other breeds. Generally, medium to large breeds are good for meat. Sheep that breed out of season are best if you want to sell lamb for the Easter market. For best meat production, consider fast-growing breeds with good carcasses. Are you interested in raising sheep for meat, breeding stock, fleece, milk, living lawn ornaments, fun or some combination of these? Are you doing it as a serious business or as a hobby? Do you want low-maintenance sheep, or are you willing to invest time and energy into a more demanding (and potentially more productive) flock? In time, your flock will be perfect for you.īefore you embark on a new sheep project, it’s helpful to identify why you want a flock. For example, you might want to use an Oxford ram for muscling, Polypay ewes for multiple births, then cross their lambs with Romney to add length and luster to the fleece. Sheep farmers blend different breeds to get the traits they want in a flock. This wealth of diversity could make choosing the right breed difficult, but, fortunately, you don’t have to pick just one.
Today, hundreds of sheep breeds exist, and they are good for everything from keeping brush down in the pasture to making delicious meat and milk and providing fiber for the finest cloth.
#FLOCKS OF SHEEP FACTS HOW TO#
Around 5,500 years ago, we figured out how to spin wool into long strong fibers, and there’s been plenty of sheep and breed development ever since. Instead, those early animals provided meat, milk and hides. Experts say sheep were first domesticated about 10,000 years ago in central Asia, but they weren’t favored for their hair. Wooly coats: Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson both kept sheep and were inaugurated in wool jackets.People have been keeping flocks of sheep for as long as history has been written down – longer actually. The resentment was so great that before the Revolution, spinning and weaving were considered to be acts of patriotism.Įarly entrepreneurs: The term spinster came about because spinning wool was one way for unmarried Colonial women to earn money. Revolutionary spinners: Early Americans bristled under English laws discouraging the wool industry in the colonies. Who’s counting? There are over 1 billion sheep in the world today.įirst (ovine) settlers: The first sheep in the New World arrived with Christopher Columbus in 1493. Supernatural fiber: Wool is biodegradable, it’s a natural insulator, and is resistant to mildew, mold, and fire. One pound of wooSupernatural miles of yarn, so that’s 80 miles of yarn per sheep. They can recognize human faces as well.Īncient craft: Man has been spinning wool since 3500 B.C.Ĩ0 miles of yarn: An average sheep yields 8 pounds of wool each season. I know you! Flock members take care of each other, and can recognize each other’s faces even after being separated for years.
Group mentality: Sheep are by nature gregarious and like to be in a group (known as a flock or a mob). They are capable of solving problems-they can remember how to find their way through a maze or how to find a treat in a puzzle. Their IQ level is similar to cattle, and they are almost as smart as pigs. Sheep smarts: Sheep are extremely intelligent animals. With Sheep-to-Shawl coming to Philipsburg Manor, it’s the perfect time to brush up on some sheep trivia.
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