It's actually hair from our sheep. Yes, I said hair! Sheep have either a coat of wool or hair depending on the breed of sheep. Most people think of sheep as having wool that has to be shorn for the summer. However, some breeds, such as our Katahdin, have hair that is shed during warmer weather in the same way a dog sheds it's coat.
So what are the advantages of hair sheep? Well, as already mentioned, they do not have to be shorn. This cuts down on the hassle of finding a sheep shearer and the cost to have the sheep shorn. Additionally, hair sheep do not have to have their tails docked as do wool sheep. Sheep dung has a tendency to get caught in the fluffy wool and attract flies to the area which then lay eggs. This requires additional attention and cost to the farmer to ensure the animal's health.
Lastly, many claim differences in the taste of meat from wool sheep versus hair sheep. The assertion is that wool sheep have a stronger lamb flavor while the flavor of hair sheep is milder in taste. Some attribute this difference to the lanolin produced by wool sheep which helps protect its wool coat. Our lamb is so mild in taste that many tasters thought they were eating beef because of the similar textures.
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| Trees help sheep remove hair |
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| Ram lamb modeling the shedding process |
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