Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
shown that an open-faced ewe (with little or no wool on the face) will raise
more and heavier lambs than sheep that have wool on the face. Also, open-
face sheep don't suffer from wool blindness or collect burrs on the face. But
if you live in a cold climate and expect your sheep to brave the great outdoors
in January, those same traits suddenly become less of a disadvantage. Wool
on the legs and head, like socks and a hat on people, help the sheep maintain
body temperature.
Skin folds, in general, are also undesirable. They do produce a higher
grease weight of fl eece, but they also cause more shrinkage. For handspinners,
excessively greasy fl eeces are harder to wash. Folds make shearing more
tedious and cause more second cuts, and since maggots can hatch and thrive
in moisture-retaining folds, the folds predispose sheep to fl ystrike. According
to the U.S. Sheep Industry Development program, skin folds usually indicate
somewhat lower fertility and productivity.
Marketing Considerations
If you intend to spin your wool, your needs differ from those of people who
sell large quantities of wool to a dealer or who are interested primarily in sell-
ing market lambs. If you plan on selling handspun fl eece or direct marketing
lambs, remember that some research indicates that hair sheep and sheep with
coarser wool have less muttony-fl avored meat. However, many of the heritage
breeds (see page 38), though they grow more slowly than the commercial
breeds, can provide both delicious meat and desirable fl eeces.
WHAT IS A BREED?
A breed is a group of domesticated animals that have been bred
to predictably pass on recognizable traits to their offspring. Some
breeds show traits that were specifi cally selected by farmers and
ranchers — such as color, wool quality, and high milk production.
Other breeds demonstrate traits that are the result of environmen-
tal pressures, such as heat tolerance and resistance to parasites.
Most breeds have a combination of traits selected by both humans
and the environment, and at times it's hard to say to which cat-
egory a particular trait belongs.
