Welcome To Spinderella's

1640 South 600 East * Salt Lake City~ UT * 84105 * 801.668.0563

Breeds of Sheep in the USA

Sheep fill a unique need today, just as they have for thousands of years. In todays day and age, we have many fibers to choose from and varying grades of wools. Knowing about the breeds of sheep may help you decide if a particular wool would be best used for a carpet, woven into suit fabric or knit up into a cozy woolen sweater.

Click on the links below to find more about the other sheep classifications in the USA.

Please note: in all the years we have been processing fibers, we see a general rule of thumb, when it comes to fineness. Having said that, there are exceptions. We process many of the fleeces the industry deems as meat sheep. It is a matter for each person to consider.

We usually suggest to our new fiber friends, to "wear" the fiber in consideration. They may find a particular fiber wonderful for socks, but not for wearing to the skin. Within our family one person may be able to wear a sweater made from a sheep's fiber that the next family member finds a bit scratchy.

As a new spinner, Lynn decided to see for herself, what these fibers looked like and felt like. She sent for samples of different fleeces, and was able to fill 2, very large, ring binders. The binders contained information about the breed, what the wool grade was, a photo of the sheep and samples of raw, washed and spun locks of the fleeces. She was able to determine quite a bit. Sheep and other fibers, she liked and didn't care much for, but knew each fleece had a purpose. It was a wonderful way to learn. Unfortunately, the books were loaned to the local guild and have vanished. We do hope they are still in use and people are learning. We encourage you to do the same, or at least explore the world of sheep and fibers available to you. Have fun!

Meat Sheep

Many of the meat sheep listed, we use for spinning. Hand spinners really have a choice- we think these sheep are not just for eating! Jim spins these breeds often for our Spinderella customers and friends. Of course there are a few others, but we are putting these up as we see them most often for processing.

The Cheviot originated in the hill country that borders Scotland and England and was imported into the U.S. in 1838. They are a small-sized sheep with a white face and bare head and legs. They produce a high-yielding medium wool.
  • AVERAGE FIBER DIAMETER
    Micron 27-33
    USDA Wool Grade 46’s-56’s
  • GREASE FLEECE WEIGHT Ewe 5-8 lb - WASHING YIELD 50-65%
  • STAPLE LENGTH 2 1/2 - 4"
Dorset Horned Sheep originated in Southern England, and was imported into the U.S. in 1885. In 1948, a dominant gene for polledness occurred which resulted in Polled ( no horns)Dorset's which are now popular in the farm flocks. Dorset's are medium-sized, white-faced, produce medium-wool fleeces free of black fibers and have wool extending down the legs. They are commonly used in crossbreeding.
  • AVERAGE FIBER DIAMETER
    Micron 26-32
    USDA Wool Grade 48’s-58’s
  • GREASE FLEECE WEIGHT Ewe 5-8 lb - WASHING YIELD 50-65%
  • STAPLE LENGTH 3-4 1/2"
Hampshire'swere developed in the Hampshire country of Southern England. The breed is widely used in the U.S. as a source of terminal sires for commercial lamb production. They are large with wool caps, black faces and medium-wool fleeces.
  • AVERAGE FIBER DIAMETER
    Micron 25-33
    USDA Wool Grade 46’s-58’s
  • GREASE FLEECE WEIGHT Ewe 6-10 lb - WASHING YIELD 50-60%
  • STAPLE LENGTH 2 1/2 - 4"
Montadalewas developed in the U.S. from Cheviot x Columbia crosses. The breed is medium-sized with a white wool covering, bare head and legs, black hooves and nostrils. They produce medium wool with good staple length.
  • AVERAGE FIBER DIAMETER
    Micron 25-30
    USDA Wool Grade 50’s-58’s
  • GREASE FLEECE WEIGHT Ewe 7-11 lb - WASHING YIELD 50-60%
  • STAPLE LENGTH 3-5"
North County CheviotOriginated in Northern Scotland,and imported into North America in 1944. The North Country Cheviot is a large hill sheep able to adapt to rough terrain and adverse conditions. They are medium- to large-sized with a white face and bare head and legs and produce medium-wool fleece with good staple length. Their fleeces are free from hair and kemp and are mostly used in Scottish tweed.
  • AVERAGE FIBER DIAMETER
    Micron 27-33
    USDA Wool Grade 46’s-56’s
  • GREASE FLEECE WEIGHT Ewe 5-10 lb - WASHING YIELD 50-65%
  • STAPLE LENGTH 4-6"
Shropshireoriginated in England from native sheep, Southdown, Leicester and Cotswold crosses. They were imported into the U.S. in 1855. Shropshire's are medium to large with a dark face and wool extending down the legs, with medium-grade wool.
  • AVERAGE FIBER DIAMETER
    Micron 25-33
    USDA Wool Grade 46’s-58’s
  • GREASE FLEECE WEIGHT Ewe 6-10 lb - WASHING YIELD 50-60%
  • STAPLE LENGTH 3-4"
Southdownis one of the oldest sheep breeds, originating in England, imported into the U.S. in 1803. The Southdown is small to medium-sized with a light brown face and wool extending down the legs, with medium wool fleece. The breed is very docile and possess excellent longevity.
  • AVERAGE FIBER DIAMETER
    Micron 24-29
    USDA Wool Grade 54’s-60’s
  • GREASE FLEECE WEIGHT Ewe 5-8 lb - WASHING YIELD 40-55%
  • STAPLE LENGTH 2-3 "
Suffolk originated in England from Southdown x Norfolk crosses and imported into the U.S. in 1888. This is the largest-sized breed in the U.S. They have a bare and black head and legs, and produced a medium-grade fleece.
  • AVERAGE FIBER DIAMETER
    Micron 26-33
    USDA Wool Grade 46’s-58’s
  • GREASE FLEECE WEIGHT Ewe 4-8 lb - WASHING YIELD 50-60%
  • STAPLE LENGTH 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 "
Texelhave been bred in the Netherlands for over 160 years and were first available to U.S. sheep producers in 1990. Texel's are medium-sized sheep with a white face with no wool on the head and legs and produce a medium-wool fleece.
  • AVERAGE FIBER DIAMETER
    Micron 28-33
    USDA Wool Grade 46’s-54’s
  • GREASE FLEECE WEIGHT Ewe 7-10 lb - WASHING YIELD 60-70%
  • STAPLE LENGTH 3-4"
Tunisoriginated from Tunisia in North Africa and was imported into the U.S. in 1799. The breed was popular in the South until almost eliminated during the Civil War. They are a medium-sized with a red or tan face and legs, pendulous ears, no wool on the head and legs, polled and produce a medium-wool fleece.
  • AVERAGE FIBER DIAMETER
    Micron 26-31
    USDA Wool Grade 50’s-58’s
  • GREASE FLEECE WEIGHT Ewe 8-12 lb - WASHING YIELD 50-65%
  • STAPLE LENGTH 3-4 "

CONTACT:

Jim and Lynn Snell
801.668.0563
1640 S. 600 E
SLC,UT 84105
email: spinderellas523@msn.com

Share |