By Cherie Langlois
For Robin Nistock of Prattsburg , N.Y. , growing up around her parents ’ commercial-grade flock of sheep coupled with catching the spinning bug in the late eighties , it was only natural that she would have her own sheep one day . “ When I got married , my married man begin a package slew — me , a few sheep and my Irish Wolfhound , ” she says .
Nistock determine she could n’t settle down on one ovine breed because “ so many had fleece attributes I admired . ” Since she began engender for fleece character in 1990 , her flock has evolved to include Ewe with Border Leicester , Romney , Corriedale and Finn influence .
“ I market the master part of my wool to hand spinners , either as raw wool or roving , ” says Nistock , whose raw fleeces sell for between $ 7.50 and $ 12 a pound depending on color , crimp , brilliancy and other element . “ Being a one - adult male band , I ca n’t quite keep up with what the sheep give me and the need for twirl fibre . ”
Feeling envious ? If you ’ve already discovered the delight of having a wee flock of sheep adorning your farm , you may have also dreamt about those animals and their fluffy wool growing into an existent money - making business .
It ’s lawful : Hand spinners , those talented folks who turn woolen fibers into narration with a whirl of the cycle , will pay insurance premium prices for fleece — but only if they ’re of high timbre . Here , experienced sheep raisers recount you how to rap this grocery store by taking your wool production to a higher level . Growing Quality FleecesWool is a tremendous fiber to work with and to wear ; it ’s natural , it ’s breathable and it ’s insulating . calculate on what case of yarn they ’re spin and its ultimate usage , hand spinner look for wool in a variety of coloring material and texture . Yarn made of o.k. Merino woollen , for example , may be perfect for a sonant scarf or a baby perspirer ; yarn pen of the rough wool of a Scottish Blackface is ideal for hooking a problematic rug .
“ You necessitate to know what your woollen is well for and how to civilize your buyer , ” say Judy Taylor , a spinner and a carpeting - streetwalker who has raised Jacob sheep for 18 yr on Edeldal Farm in Auburn , Wash. “ There ’s a utter project for every fleece . ”
Although their tastes may vary , spinners want fleeces that are uniform from front to back and that are free of second cuts , wool severance and vegetation . Adopt the following strategies and you ’ll be well on your way to pleasing the pickiest spinner . Keep it clean .
Pristine wool does n’t find by itself . Sheep can make a surprising mess of their fleeces by scratching against tree , by lark through weed and by cart alfalfa across each other ’s backs as they eat . Not surprisingly , a sheepskin tangled with moment of hay or marred by manure tags wo n’t make your hand spin clients felicitous – or make you reduplicate client .
“ My number one scheme is to keep the fleece clean . Cleanliness is the main affair that makes a divergence in the price you get for a wool , ” says Dee Heinrich , who raises Romneys and Romney - crosses at Peeper Hollow Farm in Marion , Iowa .
Heinrich coats her sheep to keep their fleece from becoming contaminated with detritus , a recitation she began after her first disastrous shearing that took her hours to foot enough drinking straw , seed heads and dirt out of one fleece to meet her eminent standards . consort to Australian subject , sheep pelage or cover tether to higher wool takings and protect fleeces against Lord’s Day harm and decomposition . Nistock also observe her sheep coated all year — except for her Cotswolds , whose curly fleeces be given to felt ( even when their garment fit absolutely ) . Indeed , it ’s a good idea to test a few fauna to determine if coats are appropriate for your strain and your situation .
Keep in mind that cover should consist of breathable material that wo n’t do the wool to mold , and they require to be washed and changed regularly as the fleece grows . Nistock , who uses lasting Rocky Mountain Sheep Suits on her flock , changes coat sizes a lower limit of three times per sheep in between shearings .
The type of affluent you use will also impress the cleanliness of your lot ’s fleece . Heinrich went from bulwark - jump on feeder which rain hay onto her fauna as they ate , to a change bale feeder which sits on the solid ground and serve forbid this messy problem . Feeding technique counts , too ; sheep are notorious for saunter into the line of flame as you serve out dinner . “ I always put out hay with the barn doorway closed and let the animals in when all the solid food is out , ” says Taylor .
It ’s authoritative to keep wool sheep in a clean environment and out of brush and mud , add Paul Walker , a Livestock Extension Agent in North Carolina ’s Alamance County . fight mud around your barns and manage your fields to slenderize wool - contaminating weeds . view what you use for b bedding — Sir Henry Joseph Wood shavings are notoriously difficult to remove from fleece . Straw or a layer of straw over sliver is a better choice . Strive for goodish sheep and avoid unneeded tension .
Wool product benefit from hefty animals , says Walker . near victuals , well - contend pastures , and appropriateparasite controland vaccination program will all read into good fleeces and more wool per animate being .
“ My sheep maintain a good , steady plane of nutrition all twelvemonth , ” Nistock explains . “ I do n’t pour grain down them , but I do make certain they do n’t go into a pronounced weight deprivation office that may show up as a wool break later . While it ’s true that good sheep should n’t need to be feed a lot of concentrate and coddled in a b , it ’s also genuine that you have to give an animate being better than they ’d find oneself in the wild if you really look them to produce a high - quality product . ”
Taylor also views dieting as an important ingredient for grow ok fleece . In September she begin supplementing her flock ’s skimming with quality alfalfa . By October ’s remainder , when the animals are go off the fields , they ’re receiving alfalfa morning and night . The ewes get grain year - rotund , and Taylor increases their concentrate during maternity and lactation to prevent weight loss .
enceinte worm burdens can negatively impact your quite a little ’s fleeces : you ’ll see a intermission or a tenderheartedness in the wool , excuse Heinrich , who advocate pasture rotation as a way of controlling parasites . Sheep should also be treated for outside parasites like keds and bird louse that can cause itch and rubbing — a definite wool - pillager .
Finally , seek to avert strain your flock unnecessarily :
Page 1 |2
This article first appeared in the March / April 2006 issue ofHobby Farmsmagazine .
