​Maryland Small Ruminant Page

There are other contributing factors to the loss in value of sheep pelts. There is less demand for sheepskin products among consumers, as the demand for synthetics has increased. The value of the US dollar relative to Chinese currency has made pelts more expensive for the Chinese to purchase. Tougher environmental standards have driven many small Chinese tanneries out of business, as chemicals and gases are part of the tanning process [7]. Lower wool prices also contribute to lower pelt prices.
 

In the past, it was common for some US producers to receive a “pelt credit” when they sold their lambs. This is because the pelt usually accounted for the majority of the by-product value of a lamb. It’s often been said that a meat processer breaks even on the meat and makes his profit on the by-products. As a result, pelt values could have a significant influence on slaughter lamb prices.

High quality, unshorn wool pelts were worth the most. A good quality pelt could add $5-$10 to the value of a lamb. The best Australian Merino skins are still fetching AU$20 a piece, with most bringing $4-$10 (Sept 1). The “pelt credit” was always one of the “best” arguments against hair sheep.
 

In the East, we’ve never received a “pelt credit” for our lambs. While some of the larger processors used to salt and sell the pelts, producers never benefited, at least not directly. Now, the processors are scurrying for markets or simply throwing away the skins with other waste products.

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​Niche marketing opportunity
 

The Utah Wool Growers are marketing lamb pelts for $100 each [7]. Different colors are available. There is a farm in California that is selling out of its pelts, priced as high as $675 [4]. These are from colorful Navajo Churro sheep. Many other producers are niche marketing their pelts for prices somewhere in between. Pelts are an excellent way to add value to the sheep enterprise. While it is possible to tan your own pelts, it is more common to have the pelts professionally tanned.
 

Bucks County Fur Products in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, is the tannery of choice for niche marketers of sheep pelts. Bucks calls themselves “the sheepskin specialists”, as they specialize in tanning sheep, goat, and deer hides [3]. They are a family run-business that has been in operation since 1954. They receive sheepskins from all over the US. Most are shipped in and shipped out. Prices are $8-$12 per square foot, depending upon wool length and thickness.  Finished pelts are washable or can be returned to the tannery for a “proper cleaning.”