1. The fleece from sheep has been used to make human clothing since the Stone Age.
2. Australian, Hilton Barrett, holds the Guinness World Record for the fastest time to shear a single mature sheep at an amazing 39.31 seconds. The record was set at the Wellington Show 2010 in Wellington, New South Wales on 1 May 2010.
3. Sheep wool has an incredible, natural UV protection built right in, which helps to keep sheep and lambs from getting sunburnt.
4. Wool fibres are very durable and flexible. Wool fibre can withstand being bent 20,000 times without breaking. In comparison, cotton breaks after 3,000 bends and silk after 2,000 bends. Wool is a hard wearing and wool’s natural elasticity means that the fibres will stretch under pressure and "spring back" when the pressure is released, making wool the perfect filling for wool quilts.
5. Odour control - Wool has a permanent, natural resistance to microbial growth and odour retention. The reason is a combination of wool’s excellent moisture absorption, and the fibres’ uneven and negatively-charged surfaces. Odour-causing bacteria prefer the exposed, flat and positively-charged surfaces of synthetic fibre.
6. The most expensive sheep in the world was sold in Scotland in 2009 for $425,000; it was a male Texel sheep named Deveronvale Perfection. He was bought by a farmer in Scotland to use as a breeding ram.
7. There are over 900 breeds of sheep in the world, one of the most popular is the Merino – it is favoured for its soft fine wool which is used for clothing and blankets. Crossbred Downs wool is used in bedding as it is a springier fibre, which is excellent at trapping air and maintaining springiness or loft inside the quilt.
8. Australia produces the most wool in the world at a massive 284,000 tonnes a year.
9. Sheep are intelligent - not only can sheep recognize up to 50 other sheep faces and remember them for 2 years, but they can also recognize human faces.
10. Sheep have excellent peripheral vision. Their large, rectangular pupils allow them to see almost 360 degrees. In fact, they can see behind themselves without turning their heads!
