The Cloverbud and Sheep members have been busy learning about wool. They had a guest speaker, Jennifer Bowes, attend a meeting where she taught them the craft of felting. How to determine the quality of wool and how to take care of sheep’s wool before shearing. The members made their own dryer ball which is an environmentally friendly alternative to dryer sheets. They last for years and can be washed and dried with your clothes to reduce static and create softness. A mature sheep can produce an average of 9 pounds of wool a year. Wool is a great natural fibre to make clothing from because it is super warm and can hold moisture and not feel damp, this helps to regulate your body temperature.
On February 18, the sheep members attended District sheep weigh-in with the Cranbrook Multi Club. Thank-you to the Murdoch family for hosting the event. South Country Crafts & Critters has six sheep members this year. Thank-you to our suppliers, Rosicky Ranch and Crestview Farms for this year’s lambs. The lambs are mixed breeds with some dominate characteristics of Suffolk, Rambouillet, Charollais, and Dorset. A Suffolk sheep has a black face and black legs and is mainly raised for meat. Rambouillet are considered a dual-purpose breed know for its meat and wool. They are a large sheep and have heavy wool even on their face and are white all over. Charollais are white with a medium quality wool and are known to lamb easily and be good mothers. The grow good offspring to produce meat. Dorset breed sheep are one of the oldest breeds in existence. They are known to be good breeders even in the winter and often produce multiples. They are white all over with wool on their head and a pink nose.
The members will have the opportunity to show their projects at a couple of different livestock shows this year. We welcome the public to come and watch, details TBA.