Our Flock

IMG_0001_12Our flock consists of purebred and cross-bred Corriedale ewes that produce a beautiful array of high-quality white, silver, grey, black naturally colored fleeces. We strive for a high quality fleece prized by handspinners and fiber artists.

Corriedales are a dual purpose breed  known for  quality wool (fleece) they produce and sturdy, growthy lambs. The breed was developed in New Zealand by crossing Leicester and Lincoln rams with Merino ewes around 1870 and brought to the United States in 1914.  Their wool, with a 3.5 to 6 inch staple length, is considered in the medium fine range which spins into a lovely yarn suitable for wearing next to the skin.

Corriedales are also known for their mothering ability and their ability to forage under a variety of climatic conditions. They love the changeable weather in Duluth! You can learn more about the breed by visiting the American Corriedale Association website.

We have always kept part of the flock purebred with rams chosen for their superior fleece quality. At times, we cross-bred some ewes with Romney, Lincoln, CVM and Border Leicester rams, to produce amazingly beautiful ranges of color, luster and staple length.

The sheep follow a rotational grazing system, switching to locally grown hay in the winter.

We shear our flock late winter/early spring just before lambing season begins. Each fleece is carefully wrapped until we can skirt it prior to sale. Skirting is a process of cleaning the fleece of any debris and undesirable parts of the fleece. Our fleeces are heavily skirted so that our customers get only the finest quality raw fleece. The cleaned fleece can weigh between 5-plus  pounds for lambs and up to 9-12 pounds for ewes and rams.

Our fleece harvest will be posted on this website by mid-April each year. Customers may purchase fleece by arranging a visit to our farm or by contacting us directly. We can ship fleece and roving to you for an additional charge. We accept payment via PayPal and Venmo. We also continue to accept checks.

Follow us on FaceBook for current farm and fleece updates. We are happy to answer questions about our flock and fleece. Thank you for supporting our flock.