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What is a Hair Sheep?

January 20, 2015 by hsotr

What is a Hair Sheep?All types of sheep have wool.  But not all sheep growl curly masses of it all over their bodies.  Some sheep grow mostly hair.

Every sheep has two kinds of hair:

  1. Coarse outer guard hairs.
  2. Soft, wooly undercoat hairs.

The difference between a wool sheep and a hair sheep is the proportion of each that a sheep grows.  A wool sheep grows a disproportionate amount of undercoat.  A hair sheep grows mainly hair.

 

Why Would You Want a Sheep Without Wool?

In some climates, wool is a hot, heavy encumbrance to a sheep.  It has been estimated that 90% of the world’s hair sheep population comes from Africa.

Of course, you can’t shear a hair sheep.  It has an entirely different purpose—meat.

Hair sheep are preferred to wool sheep for meat purposes for a number of reasons:

  • More mild-flavored meat.
  • No need for shearing and tail-docking.
  • Better vigor.
  • More economical to fatten.

Hair sheep can also produce leather as a useful byproduct.  Because of differences in numbers and kinds of hair follicles, leather from hair sheep is far superior to that from wool sheep in texture and appearance.

 

Examples of Hair Sheep Breeds

  • American Blackbelly.
  • Barbados Blackbelly.
  • Dorper.
  • Katahdin.
  • St. Croix.

 

Helpful Resource

Hair Sheep Breeds
Find out more about hair sheep breeds from Oklahoma State University.

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Filed Under: The Farm Tagged With: Livestock, Sheep

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About hsotr

Motivated by her experience growing up on a small farm near Wichita, Kansas, Michelle Lindsey started Homestead on the Range to supply Kansas country living enthusiasts with the innovative resources that they need to succeed and has now been keeping families informed and inspired for over five years. Michelle is the author of three country living books. She is also a serious student of history, specializing in Kansas, agriculture, and the American West. When not pursuing hobbies ranging from music to cooking to birdwatching, she can usually be found researching, writing, or living out the country dream.

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