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Barnyard Buddies:  Processing and marketing Shetland Wool  |
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LunaTheFarmLady
True Blue Farmgirl
448 Posts
Luna
Rineyville
KY
USA
448 Posts |
 Posted - Jan 26 2008 : 2:25:20 PM
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I have 6 ewes and a ram and a wether in assorted natural colors. They are hopefully all pregnant and I will be shearing them in late Feb. I've never done this before on this scale (small for some I guess, but a lot for me). I will want to process or store (?) the wool for spinning. Some for my self and some to market. Any advice in this area would be great.
Luna |
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
4185 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4185 Posts |
Posted - Jan 26 2008 : 3:49:02 PM
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Hi Luna, I have two shetland crosses that I had sheared for the first time last year. Now I don't know much about it, but.....I did keep, and still do, the wool in a cotton bag. I made it out of an old sheet. I am working on carding and spinning now. Good Luck
Michele |
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prairielandherbs
True Blue Farmgirl
690 Posts
Maggie
Iowa
USA
690 Posts |
Posted - Jan 27 2008 : 10:42:18 AM
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Hi Luna! I don't actually have sheep, but, we have a little network of spinners/weavers/knitters/fiberartists/wool processors/farmers in my area and I have learned ALOT from these wonderful women in the last few years. I do dye and sell roving, and spin and sell yarn, so i would be the type of person I assume you'd want to market your wool to. My epxerience is that direct-marketing to the fiber community (fiberarts, spinners, weavers, etc) is where you are going to make any money off your fleece; also where you will get the best feedback. Do you know how to spin? that will be helpful, will give you an idea of how to talk about your fleece knowledgeably (staple lenght, crimp, etc).
You can sell the fleeces raw - least work for you, of course. You can have them sent to a processor to be cleaned, and made into batts, roving, or even yarn - each step costs more, of course, but the end product can then be sold for more. It just depends on your market. If you can find a local mill that's the best because shipping can really add up. :)
So mostly I'm just rambling. OH! one other thing - be sure to get a GOOD SHEARER, one that is used to shearing for handspinners. There is a difference, at least around here. You might pay a little more for one who is used to shearing for hadnspinners, but it WILL be money well spent.
good luck! i love naturally colored wool, and i LOVE to buy from small farms. My absolute favorite fiber comes from animals that have names - i truly treasure it more. I will refer to my "hope" socks or hat (spun and knit from Hope the sheep's wool) and my "Robby" alpaca purse (again, spun and knit from a local alpaca named Robby!). Too much fun, in my opinion!!! :) |
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LunaTheFarmLady
True Blue Farmgirl
448 Posts
Luna
Rineyville
KY
USA
448 Posts |
Posted - Jan 27 2008 : 5:49:41 PM
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Hi Michelle and Maggie
So good to hear from other sheep and wool lovers. First my girls and boys do have names: Myrtle, Angelica, Meriweather, Henna and Aurora and the boys are Lincoln and Isaac. Thank you for the over view of the business possibilities. You said a lot in of really useful info in a short way, Wow! I'm not sure which way I will go yet although I suspect I'll probably do it all eventually. I have done spinning before although it's been a little while. I just retired from the real world (!) of work and bourght this little farm and the sheep. The goal is to make it into a self sustaining little business doing the things I love: Spinning again, doll making, felting, junking, growing herbs and flowers for dyes and organic vegetables. Thank you for the tip on shearing for spinning. I will have to check into this. I'll have to ask the local shearer here about it. Do you know what makes it different? What do you look for in the wool you buy. Thanks for the help! Luna |
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prairielandherbs
True Blue Farmgirl
690 Posts
Maggie
Iowa
USA
690 Posts |
Posted - Jan 28 2008 : 11:23:38 AM
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My neighbors have a flock of lincolnX sheep, and invited me to a shearing when they learned I spun. They don't use the wool, just sell it to the shearer, who sells it to a huge company - I actualy think they lose money on the deal, because they have several naturally colored sheep and the shearer doesn't want those, only the white fleece. So they offered me the colored ones, and I was so excited! I had a friend come over and actually give a class on "how to buy a fleece", and we ended up using the free fleeces I had in the class, because they pretty much showed EVERY SINGLE REASON you wouldn't want to buy a fleece! So it was really informative. First of all, the shearer just didn't do a very good job - there were lots of second cuts, which cuts down on the staple lenght and overall quality of the fleece. Secondly, when he finished with the fleece, he just wadded the whole thing up and kind of kicked it away. My friend said that the shearer she uses would carefully roll it up, and place it to the side. THis makes it much easier for folks to skirt he wool and separate it out for processing. The other "bad " things about my free fleece: they had kemp, they were VERY dirty - I actually dried to process some of it anyway, but it was so full of burrs and hay that I just gave up - and had weakening in the middle of the fibers, which could be due to any of a nubmer of things, including stress or changes in diet or goodness knows what else.
So, when I look to buy a fleece, I look at: color, crimp, staple length, cleanliness, breed, and price. I am by no means and expert but those are just the few things I've learned so far. I'd be deligthed if anyone else who knows anything would jump into this discussion. I'm not an expert by any means and have lots and lots to learn, myself.
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prairielandherbs
True Blue Farmgirl
690 Posts
Maggie
Iowa
USA
690 Posts |
Posted - Jan 31 2008 : 11:42:15 AM
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| Bumpity bump....I"m surprised more people haven't chimed in....i thought we would have more fiber-producing farmgirls??? |
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Shirley
True Blue Farmgirl
734 Posts
Shirley
Olympia
Wa
USA
734 Posts |
Posted - Feb 01 2008 : 12:34:42 AM
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I have Jacob,shetland, and Romney sheep.
Maggie, you covered it pretty good. So I dont know what else to ad.
Shirley |
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prairielandherbs
True Blue Farmgirl
690 Posts
Maggie
Iowa
USA
690 Posts |
Posted - Feb 01 2008 : 10:37:47 AM
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| Hi Shirley! Nice to meet you. What lovely selection of fiber you have with those 3 breeds! Do you sell directly to spinners?? |
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joyfulmama
True Blue Farmgirl
1175 Posts
Debra
Silver Springs
NV
USA
1175 Posts |
Posted - Feb 01 2008 : 10:40:13 AM
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As a long time spinner I can say that clean fleece (free of debri etc..) sells much higher than raw fleece that is full of little buggers we have to pick out ourselves. I buy raw fleece from a friend who coats her sheep and most time I just spin in the grease- it is a joy to spin it. Even if I was it I just fluff it up and spin it as is- no carding at all.
Blessings, Debra
Psalms 23:1 "The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want."
http://myvintagehome.blogspot.com
http://woolieacres.net |
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Shirley
True Blue Farmgirl
734 Posts
Shirley
Olympia
Wa
USA
734 Posts |
Posted - Feb 02 2008 : 12:34:34 AM
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No I dont sell directly to spinners, I sell at the farmers market where I live, I sell handspun also ,so I use most of the fiber myself.
I dont like spinning in the grease no matter how clean it is, the lanolin gets messy and theres always a little sand,dirt or what have you, in raw unwashed fleece and depending on the wheel you have , it will gunk up your wheel and will also wear a channel in the wool of the wheel where it goes into the orifes. You also spin dirt and sand etc into the twist of the yarn and it wont wash out cause its spun right in there.
Anyway thats only my opinion LOL
I have so much fleece, from all kinds of animals that im trying to get bunches of it carded together and get it spun, but I think it breeds during the night and makes more. lol
Ok im going now. hehe
Shirley |
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LunaTheFarmLady
True Blue Farmgirl
448 Posts
Luna
Rineyville
KY
USA
448 Posts |
Posted - Feb 08 2008 : 1:02:13 PM
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Hi Ladies
I've been away and just getting back to this. Thanks for the posts on your preferences. It's all helpful in developing my knowledge. Another question: If the sheep are not coated, how do you prevent the hay and debris from getting in there. Does everyone coat? I've seen people at shows combing their show lambs with what looks like a carding brush? Does this damage the fleece before it is actually sheared? I pick over the girls when I'm in there but I only get so much. Any other ideas?
Luna the Farm Lady
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joyfulmama
True Blue Farmgirl
1175 Posts
Debra
Silver Springs
NV
USA
1175 Posts |
Posted - Feb 08 2008 : 1:06:06 PM
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not everyone coats but I have found in my experience that those who coat have repeat customers waiting for the following years shearings. There are directions online for how to make your own coats.. and as maggie said find a shearer who shears for spinners. Or learn how to shear yourself.
Blessings, Debra
Psalms 23:1 "The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want."
http://myvintagehome.blogspot.com
http://woolieacres.net |
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LunaTheFarmLady
True Blue Farmgirl
448 Posts
Luna
Rineyville
KY
USA
448 Posts |
Posted - Feb 08 2008 : 2:08:59 PM
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Thanks Debra,
After this shearing I think I will coat. Do you have a link for making the coats that you could send me? My dh is looking into learning how to shear. Lots to do for next year! I will work with the shearing I get this year to see how it all goes.
Luna |
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joyfulmama
True Blue Farmgirl
1175 Posts
Debra
Silver Springs
NV
USA
1175 Posts |
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prairielandherbs
True Blue Farmgirl
690 Posts
Maggie
Iowa
USA
690 Posts |
Posted - Feb 10 2008 : 4:01:05 PM
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I buy primarily from local, uncoated sheep - they have very clean pastures....not too many burrs, etc. for the sheep to get into. REally dirty fleece have almost no value - I've seen people that are unable to give them away, except maybe as garden mulch!
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LunaTheFarmLady
True Blue Farmgirl
448 Posts
Luna
Rineyville
KY
USA
448 Posts |
Posted - Feb 11 2008 : 11:10:45 AM
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Hello again
Maggie thanks for sharing your experience. I'm seening that personal preference has a lot to do with desirability. My sheep, I would say are on a very clean pasture, high quality grass fed with no burred shrubbery. My biggest problem is with the hay that gets on them from the feeder now that I am giving winter feed. It has always been my plan to skirt and then also wash the fleece before marketing. I would also like to set up a carding process and produce bats and roving. I need to acquire the equipment for this. Does anyone have any experience with this type of operation?
Debra, I have 8 shetlands in colors ranging from white to black with fawn and chocolate in between. I like the idea of shearing with scissors rather than electric to disturb the sheep less. Thanks for the links, I will check them out.
Luna
The Farm Lady |
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joyfulmama
True Blue Farmgirl
1175 Posts
Debra
Silver Springs
NV
USA
1175 Posts |
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LunaTheFarmLady
True Blue Farmgirl
448 Posts
Luna
Rineyville
KY
USA
448 Posts |
Posted - Feb 11 2008 : 1:36:32 PM
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Wow Debra!
The links were great! a wealth of information. Thanks.
Luna
The Farm Lady |
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joyfulmama
True Blue Farmgirl
1175 Posts
Debra
Silver Springs
NV
USA
1175 Posts |
Posted - Feb 11 2008 : 1:44:33 PM
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Luna, Shetland is such lovely fiber- clean and free of debris you will have no problem selling your fleeces for top dollar!
I am glad the links were useful for you. :-)
Blessings, Debra
Psalms 23:1 "The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want."
http://myvintagehome.blogspot.com
http://woolieacres.net |
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prairielandherbs
True Blue Farmgirl
690 Posts
Maggie
Iowa
USA
690 Posts |
Posted - Feb 12 2008 : 4:22:28 PM
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My current knitting project is a pair of socks from sheltant roving - my handspun, color: moorit brown. SO COOL! I love the natural colors- your flock sounds so beautiful!!!
My friend Abi has done basically what you are talking about. Seh started with a small spinner's flock and then got more and more knowledge and experience with processing the fleece - washine,g, dyeing, carding into batts or roving. She now only has a few sheep of her own but handles literal tons of wool each year, from local famers primarily. She built a building just for her wool, and has aquiried quite a bit of equipment along the way! :) Her business is called High Prairie Fibers.
I know she mentioned to me, long ago, that she had to change the typical feeding arragements in her barn to prevent the hay and chaff etc. from getting into the fleece. I cannot, for the life of me, recall her solution to the problem tho, I'm sorry!
quote:
Originally posted by LunaTheFarmLady
Hello again
Maggie thanks for sharing your experience. I'm seening that personal preference has a lot to do with desirability. My sheep, I would say are on a very clean pasture, high quality grass fed with no burred shrubbery. My biggest problem is with the hay that gets on them from the feeder now that I am giving winter feed. It has always been my plan to skirt and then also wash the fleece before marketing. I would also like to set up a carding process and produce bats and roving. I need to acquire the equipment for this. Does anyone have any experience with this type of operation?
Debra, I have 8 shetlands in colors ranging from white to black with fawn and chocolate in between. I like the idea of shearing with scissors rather than electric to disturb the sheep less. Thanks for the links, I will check them out.
Luna
The Farm Lady
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prairielandherbs
True Blue Farmgirl
690 Posts
Maggie
Iowa
USA
690 Posts |
Posted - Feb 15 2008 : 07:34:42 AM
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oh! I was looking at some beautiful BFL fleeces and look what I found! This is the feeder she developed to help keep her wool VM free.
http://www.twinwillowsfarm.com/Feeder.html |
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prairielandherbs
True Blue Farmgirl
690 Posts
Maggie
Iowa
USA
690 Posts |
Posted - Feb 15 2008 : 07:39:25 AM
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| PS the rest of that site is loaded with info, I had blast looking around on it! |
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LunaTheFarmLady
True Blue Farmgirl
448 Posts
Luna
Rineyville
KY
USA
448 Posts |
Posted - Feb 17 2008 : 7:56:39 PM
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Thanks Maggie that really was a gret site and the links were useful too. I like the look of the feeder. It seems fairly easy to make.
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Barnyard Buddies: Processing and marketing Shetland Wool |
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Processing and marketing Shetland Wool
