Dear Dr. McNett is a weekly column of questions asked by readers. It is published each Tuesday. To submit your small stock questions please post them in the website chat, respond to the email newsletter or send a direct message.
Do you have any tips for cleaning fleeces?
Keeping sheep clean prior to shearing is the best way to make cleaning a fleece simpler. Shepherds use management techniques and fleece coats to accomplish this. There was a time when whole flocks would be run into lakes or ponds and wrestled clean before shearing, but I do not personally know any shepherds using this technique.
My rough and tumble field flock is not an example of the principle of keeping them clean before shearing. All my cleaning happens after shearing because when
I picture my sheep in coats, I then picture inevitable pieces of colorful coats shredded on fence posts.
Right after shearing I skirt the fleeces. This means I remove super muddy edges and pick all of the big sticks, thorns, dirt clumps and such out of the fleece by hand. After this my fleeces can be stored. When I am ready to wash, I use a bathtub. I go very slow with a gentle detergent and many rinses. I am very careful not to agitate the wool too much because I do not want to accidentally felt anything. I do not wash as aggressively as some folks because I want plenty of lanolin left in my wool. Lanolin provides protection and strength to materials made from the wool later. Lanolin also gives wool blankets and garments their amazing self-cleaning abilities.
How long do sheep live?
The average natural lifespan of a full sized sheep is 10-12 years. Miniature breeds like Babydoll Southdowns average a couple of years longer. In production situations though, many sheep are culled earlier in life. This is because, as some ewes age, they will become less able to get pregnant or carry healthy lambs to term. However, both lifespan and productivity are incredibly variable. For instance, the oldest sheep ever recorded died in 1989 at 28 years old. She was a crossbred ewe living in Wales who lambed successfully over 40 times including the season before her death! The last time an oldest living sheep was recorded was in 2018 at almost 24 years old. She was a Horned Dorset living in Oregon, USA. The Guiness Book of World Records is available to update this record if you know any old sheep.
What is the main difference between sheep and goats?
Sheep and goats are different species. They can almost never interbreed and on the rare occasion when they do, the offspring are always infertile.
Sheep and goats have different nutritional needs and thrive in different environments. Sheep tend to be grazers, preferring grasses and forbs. Goats tend to be browsers and prefer trees, shrubs and other plants up off the ground.
Though sheep and goats are both small ruminants and share several physiological features, their systems are very different. They are dosed very differently with most medications and dewormers. They also have different ways they process and store minerals, so they need different supplementation.
Goats and sheep are often treated very similarly when kept in small herds together but they will do better when given independent consideration with management decisions.
Are there milk sheep like there are milk goats?
Oh are there!
Sheep were domesticated, along with goats, at least 1000 years before cows, very roughly 10,000 years ago. There is archaeological evidence of us enjoying sheep milk from nearly that long ago. The earliest sheep were dairy animals prior to being used for meat, milk and manure.
There are many modern sheep breeds known for making phenomenal dairy. The most popular dairy sheep breed in the US is the East Friesian. My very own Clun Forest sheep are also used in dairy regularly. Clun Forest sheep boast the highest butterfat content of any domestic breed.
Most sheep milk in the US becomes cheese. Feta, Pecorino and Manchego are the sheep cheese’s we come across most often commercially in the United States. Sheep milk is decadent, often a bit richer, creamier and sweeter than cows milk. However, sheep milk is not so easy to find in stores around here, which is a great reason (among many) to consider keeping sheep.
A friendly reminder: I am a veterinarian. I am not your veterinarian. Dear Dr. McNett is not meant for diagnosing or prescribing and is not a replacement for a relationship with a veterinarian who knows you and your animals.
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