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jacobrussell t1_iz0vtmd wrote

Reply to comment by RareBrit in Did sheep fur always just endlessly grow or was that something that was selectively bred? Were they originally naturally adapted to be going through a lot of foliage and thickets and stuff that would keep their coat relatively trimmed? by EuroTraschBozos

How does that work then? Are you gathering the wool as it sheds?

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RareBrit t1_iz0whzw wrote

It’s properly called rooing. As the days get warmer the sheep will loose their longer winter wool. Time it right and you can essentially gently strip this coat off the sheep with your hands. Soay are fairly bright, especially so for sheep. They’ll pretty much learn to come and ask you to do it for them as the long wool gets itchy. All you’re doing is being a superior itching post.

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Bunjmeister83 t1_iz10mnh wrote

Ex stepgrandad kept north ronaldsay island sheep, they used to do this to get the overcoat taken off. Lovely sheep, great temperament, and the meat was fantastic.

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[deleted] t1_iz12f8j wrote

[removed]

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RareBrit t1_iz14qjf wrote

It’s one of the many reasons I like the so called ‘primitive’ or ‘unimproved’ sheep breeds. The modern breeds tend to be the only creature in all of green creation looking for the fastest way to die. My mate had a flock he brought into a yard for the winter. Had a water trough there, sure enough it froze one night. Had a sheep standing in it, well, it was still standing in it in the morning when my mate found it. Stone dead of course. You tell me what sort of animal stands in water that’s freezing around it.

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[deleted] t1_iz1hp2g wrote

[removed]

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RareBrit t1_iz1ibzg wrote

Soay on the other hand you can’t herd with a dog. If you try it they just scatter, leaving one very puzzled sheep dog. You have to train them to come to a bucket of sheep nuts.

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jacobrussell t1_iz0zy7j wrote

That's super interesting, thanks for the explanation!

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danby t1_iz520af wrote

> All you’re doing is being a superior itching post.

Very pleasing knowledge

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DanYHKim t1_iz1slh5 wrote

Yes.

Young women would wander around the pastures picking up stray wool caught on bushes. These could be carded and spun with a drop spindle.

This practice of aimless wandering while bringing together scattered material is the origin of the term "wool gathering", used to describe unorganized musing.

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