Description

The Wiltshire Horn is the only known UK breed of sheep that sheds its wool. Most other breeds originate in Africa and the Caribbean islands. It is therefore more suited to our colder Alberta climate and is somewhat more robust than some of the lighter-framed hair sheep. Throughout the spring and summer, we “roo” or pluck the moulting wool. Though not as suitable for spinning due to the shorter length and higher amount of kemp (hair mixed in with the wool), it is an amazing growing medium for plants and mushrooms due to its water retentiveness and nutrient value. It can be used as a mulch, which breaks down naturally over the course of approximately 2 years, which we find a perfect amount of time to keep down weeds while allowing plants to establish, and all the while, slowly feeding them as well. In addition, the wool can be incorporated into a more fire-retardant natural insulation and soundproofing, and can be utilized in the craft of wool felting. Though a bit time-consuming, you could even extract the natural lanolin from the wool to use in your own skin care products. We are now offering compressed bags of raw (unprocessed) wool for you to use however you wish!