For those of you that have not used sheep covers before and are wondering how Sheep Suits work. Please click on the questions below to view the answers to some Frequently Asked Questions.

1. How do you measure for sheep covers?

2. Should I allow room for wool growth? How many sizes will a sheep go through in a year?

3. Is there elastic on the leg bands to allow for wool growth?

4. Does the wool ever cot or felt under the covers?

5. We are concerned about sun bleaching on the dark fleeces. Are the coats UV proof?

6. We live in a wet climate and worry about "green wool". Are the coats breathable?

7. My rams rip the fronts out of the coats I have now. Will this happen with Sheep Suits?

8. Why don't you make your blankets longer on the sides to cover more wool?

9. My covers get really dirty where you mark the size. Why don't you put it in a better place?

10. What if I measured wrong and the sizes I purchased don't really fit right? Can I exchange them for the correct sizes?

1. Sheep Suits sizes have two measurements. The first measurement is the length and the second measurement is the girth. The length is measured from the base of the neck just in front of the shoulders to the dock. The girth is measured from one side, over the top line to the other side. There is an illustration here to show you what I am talking about.

2. As your sheep's wool grows throughout the year, you will need larger and larger blankets. Then when you shear them, you will wonder what happened to all of the sheep that was under that blanket. Our sheep go through about 4 to 5 different size blankets each year. Your sheep may go through more or less depending on the breed. When their rear end begins to show out the back of the blanket and the leg strap begins to get snug, it is time to go to the next larger size. However, if the cover droops off the rear of the animal and the leg strap droops below the hock, the blanket is too large and the sheep will step out of it.

3. No. Elastic in the leg strap would not really allow for wool growth. It would not be sturdy enough and it would make it easier for the sheep to get out of the leg strap and that is easy enough as it is. I use 1" nylon webbing for leg straps. It is very durable and will not rip or tear out of the blanket. It is also soft enough so that it does not irritate the inside of the leg.

4. Felting has been my biggest concern since I sold the wool to hand spinners. I tested these covers on a Corriedale flock in Wyoming for one year before putting them on the market. I have personally skirted the fleeces of those sheep and there was no felting. You may expect to find a little felting along the blanket lines (the neck edge mainly) but I have had that occur with all the covers I've ever used. Also, keep in mind, that felting can occur if the sheep is in a cover that is too small for too long.

5. No. They are UV resistant but they are not UV proof. As with any cover, you might get a bit of bleaching on the very tips of the fleece but not down into the fiber like you will find if they are not covered. This is a woven fabric and therefore it lets some sunlight into the fleece but not enough to discolor your nice black wool.

6. Yes. They are made of uncoated nylon that is used in the outdoor industry to make all kinds of packs and other heavy duty items. Water as a liquid will pass through the fabric so water as a vapor has no problem. John and Toni Scholder of Woodland, Washington have this to say: "The coats appear to breathe well while keeping the fleeces clean. I think the concern in wet climates is mildew and mold. I haven't seen any on my girls. Because the coats breathe and are not waterproof they work well."

7. Possibly. The front panel on Sheep Suits is sewn in using a bi-fold or French seam like the one on the outside of the legs of your blue jeans. This means that the two sides of the fabric are sewn together, then folded back on each other and sewn again. Then the corners are double stitched for strength. This makes a very strong join. On most sheep I have not had any problems. However, two rams that are shall I say a bit ram-unctuous, have had problems. For these few problem boys I can sew some of our nylon webbing that I use for leg straps all the way around the seam and top edge of the front panel. This seems to do the trick. I can add this webbing for an additional $4 per cover.

8. I feel that if the blankets were any longer on the sides, the leg strap would begin to droop down below the hock and would make it very easy for a leg to come out of the leg strap or for the sheep to put both legs into the same strap. If is gets much lower in the front; it will begin to impede the walking motion of the sheep. I have designed them for the widest spectrum of sheep possible and I understand that while it would be nice to have a style for each breed of sheep, this is just not possible to do.

9. I mark the covers in the lower left rear because it is easy for us to read the sizes when they are stacked in our inventory. I do this strictly for our convenience. I suggest that you remark your blankets on the rear, in the center near the dock with a permanent marker. Make the size large and dark. If your sheep are like ours, they are always running away from you and it is easy to read and usually doesn't get very dirty there. Remark the size every time you wash the cover and it will always stay visible.

10. Sure, I have no problem swapping sizes as long as the covers have not been worn. Try them on and if they do not fit correctly take them off and send them back. You will pay the shipping to return the wrong size and to ship the correct one, but before you decide to return them, make sure that the covers that you ordered can't be used on your sheep at some other time. Since they wear 3 or 4 different sizes during the year, the coats you have may fit at another time.