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Hair Sheep Show Higher Resistance to Heat and Parasites than Wool Sheep By Rebekah Alford
Anyone who has spent time in Oklahoma between June and September has probably experienced the hot and humid summer weather. Without proper precaution, the summer heat can quickly turn from an annoyance to a health risk. This poses a problem for not only people, but for their animals as well. Wool sheep typically do well in Oklahoma’s winter climate, but have a hard time during the hot summer months. After all, who wants to wear a thick sweater in July? Producers must shear sheep multiple times a year in an effort to keep the animals cool, which can be time consuming and costly. Most wool sheep in Oklahoma aren’t actually produced for wool; they are produced for meat. This means their wool is more of a byproduct that can be a hassle for both the rancher and the sheep. The wool makes sheep susceptible to heat stress during hot
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summer months and shearing them takes time and money. The Oklahoma State University Sheep and Goat Center has maintained a flock of St. Croix, Katahdin, and Barbado crosses for the past six years. These hair sheep have a reputation for doing well in hot climates. “Our wool breeds are mostly raised for meat in this state,” said Jerry Fitch, professor and state sheep specialist. “They handle the colder temperatures extremely well, but they don’t handle the heat and humidity that we have in the summer and that’s where the hair sheep have worked extremely well.” The hair sheep have proven to tolerate Oklahoma’s hot summers well. During the colder months, they produce a very heavy winter coat of mixed wool and hair. Since they shed this coat in the spring, producers do not have to shear the flock.
“As far as our wool sheep, we’ll shear most of the lambs at the barn,” said Darin Annuschat, herd manager at the OSU Sheep and Goat center. “We haul our ewes to a sheep shearer, paying $4 - $5 a head to shear them twice a year.” The main reason for shearing the OSU wool sheep is to help keep the animals cool during the summer. “Heat stress is real.” Annuschat said. “Oklahoma is a very hot state, and there are times that the wool breeds can get heat stress if the wind doesn’t blow enough. That becomes an issue.” Not only do the hair sheep tolerate the heat better than wool sheep, but they are also more tolerant to internal parasites. Round worms are the most common parasite threat for sheep and goats in Oklahoma. “Hair sheep work extremely well because they are heat tolerant and
