I am helping a good friend research what kind(s) of sheep to get for her new farm in Southwestern New Jersey (near Trenton). She is the only one managing the farm, and as a veterinarian she is interested in keeping sheep for enjoyment and possibly sale of fleece only -- no butchering. She does not want a large herd but does want to raise a few lambs.

I've been watching the eBay auctions and it seems to me the Icelandic and Shetland fleeces sell best. But what would you recommend, for a young woman who already has a job, and wants to enjoy her sheep "part-time"? We'll probably have to send the fleeces out for processing if we do sell to handspinners.

-- brooklynsheep (robbins@informinc.org), September 07, 2001

Answers

Response to What breeds for no meat, fine handspin, solo farmer?

Shetland sheep would be a good choice for someone in that situation. They are smaller than most breeds, which would be better for a woman handling them alone. They are supposed to be hardy & easy to keep, with nice fleeces.

-- Becky (muellers84@yahoo.com), September 07, 2001.

soay[ dont know if that is spelled right] they are small and the fleece is supossed to be wonderfull, rare breed hard to get.or maybe romney they have a wonderfull fleece to.If we ever get land i am getting a soay.

-- kathy h (ckhart55@earthlink.net), September 08, 2001.

How is she planning to shear these sheep? It can be difficult to impossible to get a shearer to come out and do a small flock. If she can find a shearer to do it, it could end up costing her $5 to $10 a head, or even more - one fellow I've heard of charges $50 to come out and then $5 a head for small flocks. Also, many professional shearers are contemptuous of spinners flocks, and you'll get a rough cut fleece with a lot of second cuts. Mostly they shear meat sheep, whose fleeces are worth about a nickel a pound.

Once you pay a shearer (and you'll be lucky to get a saleable fleece), and then pay to send the fleece out for processing, its doubtful you're going to end up with any sort of profit. Be lucky to break even.

-- Sojourner (notime4@summer.spam), September 09, 2001.

She's planning to shear herself. Although she's never done this before, she's a thoroughly experienced veterinarian who has all the careful concern to get the job done right and none of the squeamishness that would prevent her from tackling a tough job. I hope we can find her a good book or video so she can learn on her own.

-- brooklynsheep (robbins@informinc.org), September 10, 2001.

I think someone (vet) who has experience wrestling with sheep as well as using sensitive equipment should be able to shear. Probably, though, she'd want smallish breeds. Whatever, it would be best to find a breed that she could possibly shear twice a year. (keeps shearing easier.) So she might consider sheep that provide 2 wool crops/yr. If we go a whole year without shearing (we have it done for us) it's a tougher job. We can get a spring and late fall shear out of our Romneys. However, they aren't exactly smallish animals! Anyway, just a thought.

-- sheepish (the_original_sheepish@hotmail.com), September 10, 2001.

I vote for the shetland, They come in a wide variety of colors and they are small enough to handle. I shear mine with hand shears, It's not that hard. I love my babydoll sheep too, they don't have the beautiful wool that the shetlands have but I still enjoy spinning and weaving their wool. The small sheep are so easy to take care of and they are a joy to watch. Good luck to your friend!

-- cowgirlone (cowgirlone47@hotmail.com), September 10, 2001.

If she's going to shear herself (well, if she's going to shear THE SHEEP with her own two hands) I suggest she go to shearing school. Most state extension agencies offer shearing school once a year, it only cost me $30 for a 2 day class here in MO.

It's very physically demanding. I wouldn't assume that just because she's a vet it will be easy. Probably be easiER, but not easy. I'm taking the class over again next year.

If she's not a big type person, I'd strongly suggest staying AWAY from Corriedales. I am 5'2", and once I straddled some of those ewes, I wa practically on tippy toe and on the verge of falling down everytime the thing twitched or took a deep breath. Very discouraging. I'm looking for smaller sheep for sure.

-- Sojourner (notime4@summer.spam), September 10, 2001.

Soujourner, I've checked out the sheep shearing schools in WA state. I haven't been able to go to one yet. They look like a wonderful opportunity for (!) maybe YOUNGER (than I am) people!!! I am sure that keeping a big sheep under control while shearing is a real art...not unlike wrestling (not WWF wrestling, though!) I think I would be exhausted after one or two. Just holding them down for shots or hoof trimming is enough for me!!!

-- sheepish (the_original_sheepish@hotmail.com), September 10, 2001.

My husband and I shear are own sheep then dump the wool and buy fleeces for spinning. I have yet come out with something I wanted to spin with even though I have cleaned and pick. Plus it takes all day now when I can bring my sheep over to someone who has enough sheep to hire a professional shearer I can spin my wool. It too much trouble to haul the sheep an hour a way, plus I have too many to put in a trailer not to mention the cost involved in hauling plus the stress on the sheep in that hauling! I am not raising sheep for wool I might add, they are market lambs.

-- Debbie (bwolcott@cwis.net), September 11, 2001.

Sheepish, its not bad if they're older they usually are used to being handled. If they're younger and smaller (amongst the Corriedales that is) they are much more fidgety. I did one sheep, no prob, with somebody standing there telling me which swath was next. BUT, I can't tell my left from my right, and when I had to do it on my own, I was constantly trying to figure out LEFT or RIGHT, it totally threw me off. The second day we were supposed to be shearing IN A GROUP, watching one of the experts and copying him. Well, I got so confused trying to figure left from right (I kept doing mirror image and hearing THAT'S NOT RIGHT!) I was nearly in tears. Plus, the sheep were HUGE! I was trembling with exhaustion, and at one point actually collapsed due to a sudden dizzy spell.

Everybody kept telling me left from right is not important, and then they'd say now swing it left (or right). I got so flustered I couldn't see straight. One woman came up with a marker and wrote LEFT on one of my hands (I assume the left one). I wanted to sink into the floor. I was nearly in a panic, and so embarrassed. Humiliated, really.

And the first sheep I had sheared had gone so well, I didn't nick it at all and didn't do too badly getting FAIRLY close to the skin. Not many second cuts either. But then LEFT and RIGHT became an issue and I was just lost.

I need to go to the school again, but I'm just dreading it. I thought I had a deal worked out to go to a guys farm to work with his sheep (as a gofer kind of thing) but it apparently fell through the floor. I have to get through this somehow. The sheep are a VERY important part of the farm plan here.

-- Sojourner (notime4@summer.spam), September 11, 2001.

Sojourner, I know what you mean! Get me in a stressful situation with animals, and I get SO flustered, too!!!

It would be hard for me to be in a structured class with someone barking out commands! I had a hard enough time in spinning classes!!!!

I think independent thinkers have to work extra hard to figure out how to do things! Not only do they have to understand (mostly) what the instructor is saying....they tend to calculate several other scenarios and the possible outcomes! (that's how a quick mind works!) One ends up being overwhelmed by *several* possibilities, and needing to decide what to do, while others are just blindly accepting the proposed solution within the given time-frame. Know what I mean??? You are thinking of 5 ways to do something, while everyone else has moved on to the "correct solution!"

How did Einstein ever get around to writing his stuff? People must have been giving him directives for the longest time!

Oh well...I'm not Einstein...of that I'm VERY sure!!!

-- sheepish (WA) (the_original_sheepish@hotmail.com), September 12, 2001.

Hi,, Brecknock Hill Welsh Cheviot sheep are a smaller sheep (under 23" tall sheared) with very good wool for handspinners. The Fleece spins up very nice. sheep come in different colors. There is a breeder in Kansas,,, you can email her at Correa1@aol.com

-- Bergere (autumnhaus@aol.com), September 13, 2001.

I have done alot of research on this myself, for much the same reasons as your friend, and decided on Icelandics. I just got my first registered lambs last evening. They are small, hardy and and get 2 shearings a year. I have had sheep for awhile, and at least one Angora goat for 5 years, so the shearing thing is not new to me. It IS hard to find someone to shear a small flock, although, since we are very near Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (CA) which is a major AG school, I am able to get students recomended by the Ag professor. They have been great. The professor, or dept head..honestly forget his title..has come and sheared for me himself the last 2 times. I only had 3 and paid him 15 each to shear. My fleeces were all wonderful and very spinnable. I do want to learn to shear them myself, and plan to look for a class. I will be having them sheared again this fall. My flock is up to 5 now. Icelandics are so colorful and small, that I recommend she consider them!!

-- Jenny Pipes (Auntjenny6@aol.com), September 15, 2001.

I vote for the Icelandic. Great wool, lots of colors, great personalities.

-- Pat (West Elm Farm@aol.com), November 06, 2001.