This little lamb went to market!

 Meat (Lamb and Mutton)      

The most important product we get from sheep is meat. Meat is an important ingredient in our diet, and lamb and mutton supply us with many of the vital vitamins and proteins we need for healthy living. Lamb is the meat (flesh) from a sheep that is less than one year old while mutton is the meat from a sheep that is over one year old.

While sheep meat accounts for only 6% of the world's meat consumption, it is the principle meat in regions of North Africa, the Middle East, India, and parts of Europe. The European Union claims to be the world's largest consumer and the number one importer of lamb. Ninety-nine percent of lamb imports originate from Australia and New Zealand.

         Lanolin

Raw wool contains 10 to 25 percent grease or "lanolin," which is recovered during the scouring process. Lanolin consists of a highly complex mixture of esters, alcohols,and fatty acids and is used in adhesive tape, printing inks, motor oils, and auto lubrication. It can also be refined for use in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Virtually all cosmetics and beauty aids, such as lipsticks, mascara, lotions,shampoos, and hair conditioners, contain lanolin.

  
Lanolin is recovered during the scouring process.

 Hides and Skins     

Sheep skins are removed from the carcasses after slaughter. They are treated in a process called tanning and made into soft leather. Sheep skin is commonly used for making the chamois cloths that you wash your car with. A small number of skins are preserved and sold as sheepskins, with the wool still attached.

The skins from hair sheep produce the most superior leather. This is because the numerous fine wool fibers, as opposed to the lesser number of coarse fibers of the hair sheep, cause the skin to be more open and loose in texture.

 Pelts (Fur)    

Karakuls are one of the oldest breeds of sheep. One of the main reasons for keeping Karakul sheep commercially is for the production of Karakul lambskin -- the skin of a newborn lamb, 1 to 3 days old. Newborn lambs have tightly curled, shiny black fur. Karakul lambskin is alternatively known as Persian lambskin or Astrakhan and is typically used for full fur garments, such as coats and skirts, and as trimming, edging, lining and for accessories. Karakul lamb fur accounts for almost 12% of the world fur trade, second only to mink. Karakul sheep are raised mostly in Central Asia, Afghanistan, and Namibia, where they are the only animals that can survive the harsh environmental conditions while providing both a food source and income to local people.

Blood agar plate for culturing bacteria

Image source: National Cancer Institute

Science of the Lambs

Sheep make many contributions to the fields of science and medicine. They are used as research models to study diseases and perfect surgical techniques. They are used in stem cell research. Their blood is the ideal medium for culturing bacterial. Sheep are used to produce pharmaceuticals in their blood and milk.

Learn more about sheep in science

Sheep provide us with a whole list of products other than meat, wool, and milk. In
fact, sheep by-products are in many items that we use every day.

. . . New Words . . .

By-product - a secondary or additional product; product made during the manufacture of something else.

Carcass - the dead body of an animal, especially one that has been slaughtered and dressed for food.

Lanolin - a yellow, viscous animal oil extracted from wool; a mixture of fatty acids and esters. Rich in cholesterol and skin-friendly sterols. Also called wool wax, yolk, or grease.

Scour - to remove dirt and other impurities by rubbing or cleansing.

Pelt - the skin of a lamb with the wool still on. Also called lambskin.

Sheepskin -tanned skin of a sheep with the fleece left on.