Shepherd's Profile: Kim Day

Kim and Dave Day of Red Rope Farm in Douglassville, PA has been raising Tunis since 2006. Their son added Jacob sheep to their flock in 2017.

Tunis and Jacob grazing in the pastures

Why should a breeder sell their wool?

Any shepherd who raises wool sheep should definitely sell their wool crop. Wool is a renewable source and sheep produce it yearly, as long as they live. Wool is a wonderful fiber that insulates and wicks moisture. With so many breeds of sheep there is a type of wool fiber for every project, from rugs and tapestries to baby sweaters and lace shawls to felted baskets and purses. By increasing our use of wool fibers we may lessen our dependence on synthetics, and therefore, help our environment as a result.

Tunis raw wool

Why have you chosen to sell your wool in the form you do (raw, roving, yarn, etc)?

We sell our wool as raw fleeces,roving and yarn. By giving different choices we hope to appeal to a wider group of people. Some like to process their wool from beginning to finished product, while others prefer to spin or work with yarn that's been spun for them.

Tunis roving

What is one important thing you have learned about sheep management as it relates to selling their wool?

In order to sell wool (in any form) to fiber artists, you need to keep the fleeces clean and care for each sheep's health. You need to be watchful about pasture health so that thistles and burrs don't invade fields and find their way into fleeces. Hay needs to be fed in a manner so that the sheep don't get covered in it, which sometimes means building your own hay mangers. Illness or parasite load can affect the structural integrity of a fleece, so you need to look your sheep over each day. When the sheep's body is under stress, it funnels energy and nutrition to fight that stressor rather that to grow their fleece, leaving a weak area in the wool staple.

What is one surprising thing you learned about coating your sheep -- or having sheep that are not coated?

We coated our sheep for a few years but dealt with several fleeces felting under the coats. We decided it worked best for us to leave our sheep uncoated and focus on keeping their environment clean.

Tunis yarn

What is one important thing you learned about selling your wool?

You can't lump all wool into one category. Different breeds have different wool qualities and work best in a variety of projects.