Luckily we don’t have a problem with people stealing our sheep, but should this problem ever arise, a guy in England has figured out the solution: dye your sheep orange.
The guy, John Heard, has lost 200 sheep to theft, so he “put his 250 blackface ewes through a harmless dye to make them stand out and so less likely to be pinched.” He hasn’t had any sheep stolen since. Luckily the nontoxic dye wears off, otherwise he’d only be able to sell to knitters who want orange sweaters and socks.
After twenty-five years on the farm, I’m adjusting to the adventures of city life. Part of that adjustment is figuring out what I want to write about now, since sheep are no longer part of my daily life. I’m challenging myself creatively by painting with pastels and playing the ukelele as I seek my new writing path.
Catherine Friend is a fiscal year 2021 recipient of a Creative Support for Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
5 Responses
When I went on a trip to Ireland about eight years ago, I noticed that a lot of the sheep had been “spray painted” on their backs different colors. Probably for the same reasons or for distinguishing them from other flocks.
Gotta give the guy credit for coming up with what is probably a pretty good solution for his problem!
What a great idea! You think he might have gotten by with just a couple of stripes however. Good to hear from you!
This is genius, and is the next step in a natural progression. We have moved from dyeing the finished garment to dyeing the yarn and even to dyeing the roving. Why not dye the sheep?
I can imagine some sort of scheme that reflects the personality of each animal, or perhaps lets them choose the color that their wool is meant to be. Animals who are friendly and rub up against each other before the dye is dry would create unique colorways. Those who were sun worshipers would be paler by the time they were sheared. I’m pretty sure this will be a big hit with yarn afficionados. 😉
I keep threatening to take a white lamb to fair and let folks “tie-dye” it with spray bottles of kool-aid