Bounce Posted April 19, 2005 Report Share Posted April 19, 2005 I have a Suffolk/Dorset X ewe who is badly in need of a haircut. My son and I have been shearing her down but its a slow process. The ewe is good about it, I hold her head and scratch her ear and Bounce is in a down a few feet away while son clips away. She has a top layer of felted wool, light brown from burrs and muck and close to her skin its a rich, healthy black. There is a layer in between that is Olive green in colour. Picture a sheep in army fatigues - that colour. What would cause a sheeps wool to be Green? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kajarrel Posted April 19, 2005 Report Share Posted April 19, 2005 Sounds like wool rot, dermatitis and discoloration of the wool which occurs when the fleece is damp or wet for a period of time. The color green comes from a bacteria, pseudomonas aeruginosa to be exact. Certain sheep seem more prone to wool rot than others (some of my Corriedales, for example). Other than decreasing the value of the wool, I haven't found the wool rot itself to pose a major problem, but these same areas can be susceptible to fly strike so it's a good idea to get your ewe shorn. Kim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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