By SARA DRYDEN
Indiana Correspondent

SALEM, Ind. — The annual Midwest Hair Sheep Sale is set for Sept. 27 at 1 p.m., at the Washington County Fairgrounds, located on East Market Street in Salem. The Washington County Sheep Assoc. will host the event.

Last year, approximately 150 rams and ewes from Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Ohio were consigned for this sale. Breeds included Dorper, White Dorper, Katahdin, Painted Desert, St. Croix and Crossbreds. Currently, there are about 120 sheep registered from three different states.

Consignments of hair sheep, both registered and commercial, are wanted for this sale. Entries are now being accepted through the day of the sale for the consignment fee of $15 per head.
“We already have a good selection of sheep representing different breeds,” said Blanche Perkins, a member of the Washington County Sheep Assoc. board of directors.

Though estimated to be only 3 percent of the country’s sheep population, hair sheep are gaining rapidly in popularity in the United States and other temperate climates because wool is not as profitable as it used to be, and meat is the primary source of income.

Woolen sheep need sheared; hair sheep do not. Hair sheep also do not need their tails docked. Hair sheep are low maintenance and have a strong parasite resistance.

The Washington County Sheep Assoc. conducts several other events through the year, including a pasture walk, lambing school, educational sessions with 4-H members and meetings with guest speakers from universities.

For more details, contact Dave Embree, 812-755-4414 or by e-mail at ddembree@yahoo.com; Blanche Perkins, 812-967-4554 or bearcreekterrel@hot mail.com; or Brad Shelton, Purdue extension of Washington County, 812-883-4601 or sheltonb@purdue.edu
More information, including the consignment form, is also available at the association’s website at http://wcsheep.org