Raising Sheep For Wool - What Do I Need To Know?

Raising sheep for wool was the major income
source for sheep breeding in the early 1900s.
But as the value of wool as a commodity started
to decline, farmers and breeders adapted,
raising sheep for wool specifically for niche
marketing. Fleeces sold to specialty markets or
hand spinners will fetch more as opposed to
being sold commercially. A pound of fleece can
bring as much as $15 compared to just 75 cents
in the local market. Cooperatives also help in
adding value to a producer's wool. Small
quantities of wool can also be made into custom
yarn, blanket, or cloth.

Hand spinners desire high quality wool the most.
A producer who wants to produce high quality type
takes extra care in feeding, housing, grooming,
and raising the sheep. Farmers often skirt
fleeces in fleecing wool. Skirting is the
process of removing undesirable parts of the
fleece. Parts removed include this type: belly,
coarse, cotted, stained, tags, and short.

In raising sheep for wool, most farmers often
use covers to keep the fleece from getting
dirty. This also protects the fleece from the
sun's ultraviolet rays, which causes fading and
damage. Wool also grows more under covers and
generally softer than wool that grew without
covers. The covers have to be changed
periodically to keep the sheep well ventilated
and clean. An entire industry of producing sheep
covers has sprung up because of this. Regular
sheep covers are made of nylon.

Aside from raising sheep for wool that produces
excellent fleece, a producer must also be
proficient at shearing. Shearing is the process
of cutting off the woolen fleece of a sheep. A
fleece's quality is determined by wool classing;
a process wherein wool of similar grade and
quality are grouped and sold together to
increase its value. It must also be cleaned,
called scouring, removing grease and dirt from
the fleece. It can be immersed in warm water, or
can be cleaned with detergents and alkali.

A wool's quality is very important in raising
sheep for wool. Factors that affect a it's
quality include: color, crimp, fiber diameter,
staple strength and yield. Of these factors,
fiber diameter is the most important. The finer
it is, the better its price will be. Merino type
(generally agreed upon to be one of the best wool
in the market) grows about 3-5 inches in length
and is very fine (12-24 microns). In general,
the smaller it is in microns, the better it is.
Those types which are finer than 25 microns are
used for clothing while coarser wools are made
into rugs and outerwear.

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Are you finding for more tips on raising sheep
for wool? Separate yourself from the common
sheep owners who are prone to painful mistakes.
If you would like to learn more tips on caring
for sheep and how to raise sheep correctly, go
to: http://www.howtoraisesheep.com

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