Cormo Sheep and our Farm Plan- Growing the Finest Wool a Sheep Can Offer

January 30, 2018

When I started this whole fiber farming venture, I knew for absolute certain that I wanted to raise alpacas. Alpacas grow some of the most luxuriously soft fiber, which, being devoid of lanolin, is also hypoallergenic and easier to clean and process than most wools. Alpacas are also fairly easy to keep and maintain as far as large livestock go, and they’re super adorable and cuddly to boot!

Since I knew all about the alpacas in the farm plan, it was time for me to decide if I wanted to raise other fiber producing animals. This is where the sheep come in. When picturing a farm in my mind, the first thing I always thought of…was sheep! In my mind’s eye I always see hundreds of white, cuddly, floofy, baa baas standing in the field, munching the grass and gamboling about. Just the thought of it grows a smile on my face and warms my heart as thoroughly as their wool warms my skin.

My vision of sheep in the field.

So, without any trepidation, I set my mind on getting some sheep for the homestead. But which breed of sheep should I choose? In my research I discovered that there are at least sixty distinct breeds of sheep in North America alone! Some sheep grow long curly locks, others grow dense fluffy fiber…some grow very large, some grow small…some have horns, some do not. Now, this was the fun part of the farm “building” process for me. I got to sit back and really think about what I wanted from our sheep. What breed would serve the farm’s purposes well and produce the wool and fiber I desired? Which breed would be easy to manage and thrive well in our climate and on our land?

Concerning the type of fiber I desired, something that really helped me in my decision making process was getting samples of wool from multiple breeds of popular sheep. I admit, I did not come up with that idea on my own, it was simply circumstance that during this time I was taking a Spinning Class at my local yarn store, and the instructor gave each of us a bag of multiple samples of wool to practice spinning with.

These consisted of Jacob, Corriedale, Blue Faced Liecester, Romney, and a few others I can’t remember. While all of them were lovely to spin with, I found myself particularly drawn to the Corriedale and BFL fiber. These were by far the finest fibers, smooth, with an admirable handle, which spun into some very soft, fluffy, very white yarn. I decided that I personally wanted wool that was not scratchy, as soft as possible, and could be used and worn in a multitude of ways. And so, this set the precedent for what I wanted in my wool:

• Fine Wool- Soft as possible to produce products that can be worn close to skin

• Dense, fluffy wool, tight crimp

• White Wool- Easier to Dye

• Fiber suited and desired particularly for handspinning

Now, it is not surprising that my list matches up with many folks’ expectations for wool. Most people want wool they can wear close to their skin without worries of itching or allergies. The majority of the wool industry prefers white fiber for its versatility in being able to dye it any color according to the intended finished product. Also, fiber density is something almost all wool producers strive for; the denser the wool, the more wool is being produced from that particular animal, thus a higher yield of finished product and ultimately, profit.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I am a big supporter of the recent movement in which non-conventional breeds of sheep and wool are being revisited, and re appreciated. I have seen a resurgence in interest for traditional, heritage breeds of sheep, such as the Cotswold or English Leicester, both which grow beautiful fleeces, however maybe not necessarily as soft or fine, as say, Merino.  Spinners and fiber artists alike are also gaining appreciation for the natural colors some breeds of sheep produce, such as the lovely browns, blacks, and greys produced by Finnsheep or Jacob sheep. I admire the shepherds and shepherdesses that want to conserve these rich heritage breeds, and embrace their unique and natural fiber qualities, and someday, I think I’d like to consider raising a heritage breed myself, when the time comes.

As for the future of our farms’ products and my own personal preferences, I decided to pursue the wool qualities I listed above.

Now that I knew the type of fiber I wanted to produce, I researched sheep breeds that are generally known to produce finer, softer wools. This generally brought me to fine wool breeds, such as Merino, Corriedale, Polypay and Rambouillet. I researched each breed individually, and created a second list to help me decide even further. This list took into consideration the needs and characteristics of the sheep themselves, and how they would fit into our farm management system. My ideal fine wool sheep breed would consist of these qualities:

• No horns- I decided not to raise breeds with horns for simplicity and safety reasons of the sheep and us.

• High Yield Wool- As most people do, I desired a sheep that could produce a high yield of clean, desirable fleece.

• White Wool Producer

• High Fertility- Produces more babies each year which can grow our herd faster.

• Disease and Pest Resistant, Hardy

• Smaller full grown adult size, easier to manage and handle

• Fast Growth

• Can thrive in warm Kentucky climate, also cold and unpredictable Kentucky winters

• Good grazers and foragers for our hilly, sometimes scrubby grassland

• Availability- will I have to import, travel far or spend a lot of money to get my desired sheep breed, or is it a breed which I can locate and purchase close by?

Now, once again, these are the usual desired characteristics that one would hope to procure in any breed of sheep. Any sheep farmer would strive to raise sheep that are high producers, healthy, hardy, and easy to manage. And a lot of the time, finding these characteristics has more to do with the particular breeder you purchase your sheep from and their management techniques than anything else.

My desire to obtain a breed with a lack of horns simply crossed off Merinos and Rambouillets from my list.

Polypay sheep didn’t particularly appeal to me as the wool characteristics are defined as a coarse to medium grade wool with a fiber diameter ranging from 24 to 33 μm (microns). Their Raw fleece weights are considered light and range from 2.7 to 4.5 kg. Yield of clean wool is approximately 57 percent.[1] They are also generally valued more for their prolificacy and growth rates in regards to meat production. I also didn’t have any Polypay breeders nearby which I could visit and learn more about the breed or purchase from.

Some Corriedale fiber being combed.

Corriedales were my next interest, and I was sorely tempted to get them! Their fiber was one of the samples I had tried from my spinning class, and it was my favorite one. In my research I found that Corriedales were a cross between Merino and Lincoln sheep (so there are fine Merino genetics there) ,  they have a large fleece weighing up to 12 pounds, and their fiber diameter ranges from 25-35 microns.[2] I initially wanted a lower micron count range for the sheep I chose to raise, so this was what held me back. However, I will say that I have since found Corriedale fiber from some local flocks that was an absolute dream to touch and spin with, which I’m fairly certain had much lower micron counts. I was all gung-ho for getting Corriedales over any other breed…until I discovered the Cormo.

A Corriedale sheep.

Ask any handspinner what would be considered the most exciting, luxurious, soft, (and expensive) fiber to buy and spin with, and a majority of the time, you will hear the resounding answer is Cormo fiber (usually said with a dreamy voice and a look of  extreme reverence).  I saw the demand for Cormo wool on all of the fiber selling sites, and noted the extremely high prices people were willing to pay over a fleece. When looking at images of Cormo fiber, I saw the tightest crimp (the tighter the crimp the finer the wool, usually), lustery bright white, very dense clusters of cloudlike wool. I was enthralled before even touching it!

I opened my books and browsed the internet to find out everything I could about Cormo sheep. And what I found matched up exactly to both my fiber wants and the sheeps’ needs!

Cormos are described as a medium to small breed, with a friendly, gentle, and easy to manage disposition. They are a polled breed (no horns!).  They are a cross between my two top choices, Merino and Corriedale. And their fiber ranges in diameter from just 23 microns down to just 17 microns! That’s right, 17! That is some very fine fiber to come from a sheep! Alpaca fiber, which is known to be both softer and more luxurious than sheep wool, is usually 18- 24 microns itself. Cormos can also have a clean fleece weight of up to 12 pounds (although I’ve heard from some breeders they’ve gotten up to 15 pounds), with 70- 73 percent yield. [3]

Some gorgeous raw Cormo wool. [1]

Just look at the amazing crimp and luster of this scrumptious Cormo wool. [2]

I found the Cormo sheep to be a very unique breed in the way they were developed and maintained as a breed.  The breed was developed in Tasmania by a group of Australian scientists, who bred Corriedale rams to superfine saxon Merino ewes. They kept a strictly regulated flock, in which all resulting sheep were expected to carry these characteristics to be considered Cormo.  They must demonstrate clean fleece weight, fiber diameter between 17 and 23 microns, fast body growth, and high fertility. They also exhibited excellent conformation and the ability to thrive in severe climactic conditions and rough terrain.  Adding to the Cormo breed’s unique origins and management, there is even a different register method for purebred Cormos. There are no traditional pedigrees to document the sheeps’ genetic history, however each individual sheep is numbered and allowed into the Cormo registry based on their performance and adherence to the above mentioned characteristics.[4]  Purebred Cormos are also required to be pure white in color to be able to register. It is the responsibility of the breeder to maintain these characteristics in their herd and future offspring, and to remove any sheep from the breeding program that does not perform to those standards.

So, once I knew all I needed to know about Cormo sheep, I was ready to find a breeder and purchase a few to start my own flock. I was lucky enough to find a few breeders in and around my state, so I contacted them and arranged a purchase of two beautiful girls. Later on, I acquired a stud male from a separate breeder. Throughout the purchase process, I was careful to screen the breeders and their sheep, to be sure the sheep were healthy, conformationally sound, and properly registered.

Now that our beautiful Cormos are on the farm, I am looking to start breeding our girls this year and get this little Fiberculture flock growing! My girls are the sweetest, softest and friendliest of the flock, and their fiber grows more beautiful each day! They truly exhibit the Cormo breed standard. It is so exciting and fulfilling to see how far I’ve come in this whole sheep raising and fiber growing venture. There are definitely many challenges and some days on the farm are much harder than others, but every day that I go out to the field and hear their loud “baas” and feel their soft faces pushing on my hand, makes it all worth it!

One of Fiberculture’s Cormo girls, Marigold. She displays excellent conformation and fiber consistent with this special breed of sheep!

References

1. Snowder, G.D.. (2001). Characteristics of the American Polypay: A review. Animal Genetic Resources Information. 29. . 10.1017/S1014233900001371.

2. Mason, I.L. 1996. A World Dictionary of Livestock Breeds, Types and Varieties. Fourth Edition. C.A.B International. 273 pp.

3. Simmons, P. and Ekarius, C. 2009. Storey’s Guide to Raising Sheep. Fourth Edition. Storey Publushing. 54 pp.

4. Cormo Sheep Association, Rt 59, Broadus, MT 59317.Phone: 406-427-5449

Images

1. Cormo Wool. “Tree in the pot, sort of.” Free Falling Fibers, 16 May 2012, freefallingfibers.wordpress.com/2011/11/15/tree-in-the-pot-sort-of/.

2. Cormo Staple Length. Smith, B. 2014. The Spinner’s Book of Fleece. Storey Publishing. 66 pp.