[Jacob-list] alternative to shearing?

[Pbs123 at aol.com]

I'm curious to know if anyone is familiar with, or had experience with the 
hormone that is being used in Australia and New Zealand to exfoliate sheep 
wool. The New Zealand wool bureau has a kiosk at the oriental rug fair each 
year in New Delhi and they display photos showing how it works. It appears to 
be pretty amazing stuff as the fleece apparently just sort of peels off in 
about a week or so. In their trade jargon I think it's a "depilatory agent" 
(or something like that). It sounds like getting the sheep sheared is a major 
problem and I just wondered if this is an available alternative here in the 
states. 
One potential problem might be an adverse effect on horns, because they are 
physiologically similar parts of the integument, but that may not prove to be 
the case.


Peter S
Williamsburg VA