Sheep (Ovis aries) are domestic animals for their fur, meat and milk raised on farms.
Sheep were among the first animals to be domesticated, alongside goats, pigs and cattle. Sheep are the animals with the largest number of reported breeds, according to the FAO.
It is possible to classify sheep breeds according to the primary purpose for which they are grown, the type of fibres they produce or certain physical characteristics.
Wool sheep are known as Aries Aries Ovis.
Sheep for Mutli-Purpose
For their meat, some breeds of sheep are raised, others for their wool. There are several subtypes of each group and some breeds, such as medium wool meat sheep, which are mainly raised for their meat but also produce medium wool, can serve a dual purpose.
Different races of sheep for different types of wool
Texel and Dorset are good options for meat production, while sheep reared primarily for these fibres produce the finest wool.
Among the best known wool sheep are Merino, Rambouillet, Blue Faced Leicester, and Corriedale breeds.
All Wool finds its use
Depending on the coarseness of the fibre and on other features, such as fibre length and crimping, wool may be used for various purposes. But irrespective of the breed that created it, wool is a fibre that is very versatile, with many different qualities. Everything wool finds its use, from the finest to the thickest.
Quite fine wool is mainly used in clothes, although in carpets and furnishings such as curtains or bedding, coarser wool is used.
Around 4.5 kg of wool each year is supplied by a single sheep, equivalent to 10 or more metres of cotton. There is enough to cover six sweaters, three variations of suits and trousers, or one wide sofa.
