I just had to post it sooner or later. The all important thing to a spinner is her favorite breed of sheep wool to spin. And, My Favorite Sheep is the Tunis! As luck would have it, there is a flock Tunis sheep right down the road from me in Harrodsburg, KY. In the photo above, you can see an excellent view of a Tunis lamb. Note the beautiful red legs & head and the lighter body. This flock has both Tunis and Targhee sheep as well as crosses between the two. The Targhee are solid white, where the Tunis are noted for their red faces and legs and crosses of the two have a lighter shade of red visible on face and legs.
Here are some fun facts about the Tunis breed: 'The Tunis is one of the oldest breeds of sheep having descended from ancient fat-tailed sheep referred to in the Bible. As the name indicates, the Tunis originated in Tunisia on the Northern coast of Africa.' One of the most striking characteristics of this breed are the red appearance of the Tunis's face and legs. The fleece is light ivory to cream colored with 54 count or 28 micron softness factor. It is not as soft as merino, but when spun woolen, it has a lovely squish factor! Lambs are an almost solid coppery red when born and develop the creamy colored fleece as they mature. Want to know more about this wonderful breed of sheep, check out the National Tunis Sheep Registry
For Info about the Targhee Breed Please check them out here: Targhee Association
Targhee Lamb: Nope, she isn't my Mom!
Tunis Lamb: Oh, there's my Mom!!
2 comments:
I enjoyed your photos, Tunis are my favorite breed of sheep, too! In fact, my blog is full of photos of our babies. Come see them if you get a chance at
www.unicornerfarm.blogspot.com.
- Debbi
Beautiful pics and I learned something, too! I haven't spun tunis wool yet but will make plans to do so this year! Thanks.
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