Considering starting a Fleece Flock

[alpinefarm]

I am a rug weaver and am looking for just the right sheep breed(s) to start a flock for fleece. I need a long, coarse fleece for my weaving in various colors. Karakul fleece is lovely for my purposes...yet they are rather skittish from my observations and I am new to having sheep. Icelandics are another interest. Soays would be a possibility to start with, given that they shed.

I would also like to be able to milk a ewe or two for my family.

Anyway, I thought I'd get started here and hope to learn...

Rosemary
Colorado

 

[big brown horse]

 

[wynedot55]

 

[mully]

Get a llama for long fiber to weave they are sweet animals.

 

[big brown horse]

I've got a border Cheviot, her fleece can be spun by hand.

 

[KareyABohr]

There is an Amish family in my area who raise icelandic, BEAUTIFUL yarn to crochet with. Welcome!

 

[Ninny]

I would love this info too! Are weithers the best for fleece?

 

[Spinster]

I've been a handspinner for a long time. You are on the right track thinking coarse wool is your best bet for rug making. Karakuls are 'hair' sheep, they do not grow wool, but they are not the only ones who 'shed.' Don't be afraid of shearing though - with only a few sheep, you can do it with hand shears, or even scissors. You don't have to try to find a shearer.

Look for 'longwool' breeds - Romney, Lincoln, any of the Leicesters (English, Bluefaced, Longwool). The added benefit to longwools is they have the most wonderful LUSTER and take dye beautifully. If you are more into natural colors, Scottish Blackface and Jacob are also worth checking into.

You could use Llama or Icelandic - or any other wool or fiber for rugs, and they would be cushy and soft, but I don't think they would be too durable.

For milk - Finns are very 'milky,' but they have lambs by the litter! triplets, quads, quints, are not unusual. They need all that milk to feed all those babies.

Wethers are not necessarily the best for fiber, it's just that they are no worse than ewes. There are always too many boys - far more than can be used for breeding. If a ram lamb has very nice fleece, you can 1) try to sell him for breeding, 2) send him to slaughter for meat (! not in my house!) or 3) castrate (wether) him and use him for a 'wool machine' to grow you nice spinning/ felting/ rug fiber. Getting rid of all those hormones also makes them nicer and more suitable for a pet. You can NEVER make rams pets, for your own safety.

I hope this helped answer the questions in previous posts.

 

[alpinefarm]

I've been a handspinner for a long time. You are on the right track thinking coarse wool is your best bet for rug making. Karakuls are 'hair' sheep, they do not grow wool, but they are not the only ones who 'shed.' Don't be afraid of shearing though - with only a few sheep, you can do it with hand shears, or even scissors. You don't have to try to find a shearer.

Look for 'longwool' breeds - Romney, Lincoln, any of the Leicesters (English, Bluefaced, Longwool). The added benefit to longwools is they have the most wonderful LUSTER and take dye beautifully. If you are more into natural colors, Scottish Blackface and Jacob are also worth checking into.

You could use Llama or Icelandic - or any other wool or fiber for rugs, and they would be cushy and soft, but I don't think they would be too durable.

For milk - Finns are very 'milky,' but they have lambs by the litter! triplets, quads, quints, are not unusual. They need all that milk to feed all those babies.

Wethers are not necessarily the best for fiber, it's just that they are no worse than ewes. There are always too many boys - far more than can be used for breeding. If a ram lamb has very nice fleece, you can 1) try to sell him for breeding, 2) send him to slaughter for meat (! not in my house!) or 3) castrate (wether) him and use him for a 'wool machine' to grow you nice spinning/ felting/ rug fiber. Getting rid of all those hormones also makes them nicer and more suitable for a pet. You can NEVER make rams pets, for your own safety.

I hope this helped answer the questions in previous posts.

Thank you for tackling all of my questions (and then some). I didn't realize Karakuls were considered a "hair sheep" so that is a revelation. Their "hair" is incredible. I wonder how it crosses with, say, Icelandic wool? Crimped hair? Haha.

I've read that Scottish Blackface fleece is very "bouncy" and durable for rugs, though I've never handled it. The thing that makes this choosing of breeds difficult is that I am not a spinner. I hope to become one, but that doesn't help me right now!

I think what I've got to do is spend time at a wool market (we have one in Estes Park every Sept). And visit a sheep dairy I've heard about. Maybe what I want won't be found in one type of sheep and I'll need to consider having both milking sheep and fleece (or hair!) sheep. Variety would be wonderful anyway.

Llamas might be a great addition to a sheep flock as protective spirits! though I was hoping the fleece would be a possibility. I love alpacas desperately, but their fleece is *much* too fine for my own rug work.

Well, thank you for helping me gather my wits!

 

[ksalvagno]

Llamas do need to be shorn on a regular basis. They can heat stress. So you would get your llama fleece to work with. I have my llamas shorn once a year. Make sure you get an actual guard llama though. Not all llamas guard.

My girlfriend has a llama rug and it appears to be durable. It is in a well traveled path.