Consumer perception of products from the production chain of natural coloured sheep

•Consumers relate natural coloured sheep with ecologically correct processes.•Consumers are willing to pay more for certified natural coloured products.•Products derived from the skin and wool are the most remembered for consumers.•Setting up publicity campaigns would allow the expansion of that production chain.•Breeding natural coloured sheep constitutes a paradigm of modern production. systems. The aim of this study was to identify, from questionnaire responses, the way Brazilian consumers perceive natural coloured sheep and their products, and to seek information that might assist in the development of this production chain. The responses of 503 consumers were analysed through the use of objective questions, and assigning scores or importance to different factors, as well as free word association. The terms that were most recalled by the respondents were subdivided into dimensions and categories. Through word association, it was found that the dimensions wool (47.9 %), hedonic attitudes/feelings (37.0 %), colouring (35.2 %) and skin (32.8 %) were the most mentioned when the consumers thought of natural coloured sheep. Wool (60.3 %), sustainability (54.6 %), hedonic attitudes/feelings (52.9 %), production chain (39.7 %), skin (35.0 %) and marketing (32.0 %) were the most remembered in relation to products from natural coloured animals. Products made from the wool and/or skin were the most mentioned. Creating a seal of certification, and the adoption of marketing strategies were the principal methods suggested by the consumers for boosting and consolidating the production chain. Consumers associate natural coloured products with environmentally friendly production processes and are willing to pay more for certified products.