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Barnyard Buddies:  price of wool  |
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Old Spirit
True Blue Farmgirl
1509 Posts
Rae
MN
1509 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 15 2009 : 08:12:26 AM
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Rookie question here again. What does wool sell for and how, ounce, pound etc. I will have Romney sheep and live in MN.
Thanks so much.
Rae
...those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles:...
Isaiah 40:31 |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22944 Posts
22944 Posts |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Apr 15 2009 : 12:53:47 PM
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It really really depends on the breed of sheep, quality and all sorts of other factors. I would check online with a spinning shop. Our own Grace Gerber may have a good idea..she is awesome at all fiber questions.
Jenny in Utah
Proud Farmgirl sister #24
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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Jami
True Blue Farmgirl
1238 Posts
Jami
Ellensburg
WA
USA
1238 Posts |
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jenbove
Moderator
320 Posts
Jennifer
Calico Rock
AR
USA
320 Posts |
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Old Spirit
True Blue Farmgirl
1509 Posts
Rae
MN
1509 Posts |
Posted - Apr 15 2009 : 5:40:12 PM
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I had someone say they would take it right after it was sheared, not to worry about cleaning or anything. Guess I would like to know approximately both ways.
Thanks
Rae
...those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles:...
Isaiah 40:31 |
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grace gerber
True Blue Farmgirl
2804 Posts
grace
larkspur
colorado
USA
2804 Posts |
Posted - Apr 15 2009 : 5:52:10 PM
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Hey Ladies we have wool price questions - a favorite subject of mine.
Thanks Jenny for the sweet words - Let's see what I might know.
If you sell to a large processor they pay 5.00 a bag, no skirting, raw and in any shape. Now the bag is almost 5 foot high and about 3 feet around. That is what some very large sheep farm do....
Next, if you are selling them to a small processor they will give you about .10 to .50 cents per pound, raw, skirted and in good health. This is where if you have a good flock or a group of shepards get together you sell you not so great fleeces and keep the prime for spinners.
Next, if you are selling to spinners for a Romney fleece it must be well skirted, good health (no Breakage, sun bleached tips, no VM) and
a staple length of at least three inches consistantly. That will bring you around 4.00 per pound.
Next, if you are selling washed, carded, very healthy, no VM rovings you are not looking at about 2.00 per ounce.
Now you will see that the more time you spend with it the more you can expect but remember your time is worth something. If you then dye the rovings, spin, felt, weave or make finished products the value is in what you can do...
Hope that helps. I have spent the last 12 years making a professional side line of evaluating flocks, herds, animals and their fleeces. As I tell my clients the better the fleece, the variety of uses the fleece can bring and the talents you add all increase any animal. I can take the worst fleece and with the right skills and techniques make it worth quite alot but not all fleeces are worth the time.
Good luck, hope that helps and if you have any other questions please do not hesitate to ask - that is how we all learn. I would love to see a sample of you fleeces - I am now gearing up to purchase fleeces for my shop and customers.
Grace Gerber
Larkspur Funny Farm and Fiber Art Studio
Where the spirits are high and the fiber is deep
http://www.larkspurfunnyfarm.etsy.com
http://larkspurfunnyfarm.blogspot.com
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jenbove
Moderator
320 Posts
Jennifer
Calico Rock
AR
USA
320 Posts |
Posted - Apr 15 2009 : 6:57:37 PM
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Thanks SO much, Grace - and Rae for bringing this up. My husband and I have been considering sheep. As a small family farm, we would only buy a few (20??), so I'm wondering what breed you would recommend to produce the highest value wool. And, in your opinion, do you think it's a worthwhile venture on such a small scale?
Jen
GOT A "WILD HAIR"?
COME VISIT MARYJANE'S OUTPOST! 
www.maryjanesoutpost.com
Farmgirl Sisterhood Member # 9
My Blog: The View From My Boots
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idsweetie72
True Blue Farmgirl
129 Posts
Sandra
New Meadows
idaho
USA
129 Posts |
Posted - Apr 16 2009 : 07:52:26 AM
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I'm interested as well- but in a line of goat fiber- angora, cashmere- ect- will be paying close attention to this topic!!!
Mazy Day Farm |
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twzlrwho
True Blue Farmgirl
199 Posts
christina
dewitt
va
USA
199 Posts |
Posted - Apr 16 2009 : 08:02:11 AM
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I have a question too if I may. Where or who would you contact to sell fiber? Is there a proccessing place in every state? Do prices vary by region?
Thanks
 Christina
Work like you don't have to, love like you've never been hurt, and dance like nobody is watching :) |
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Keeper of the Past
True Blue Farmgirl
925 Posts
Sarita
Battle Creek
Michigan
USA
925 Posts |
Posted - Apr 28 2009 : 7:30:35 PM
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Christina, in our area, the shearer will take the wool and pay you for it. He charges $4.00 a head to shear and my friend had 15 big oxfords sheared and let him take the wool and she got a check for $17 for the wool, didn't even pay shearing cost....roughly 10 cents a lb. I don't let the shearer have mine, I wash and sell my to repeat customers or on ebay or wash and spin my own for weaving. I also send wool out to have some spun into yarn. My last batch I sent out ended up costing me about $26.00 a lb. I send only my best fleeces at those prices. (It is really worth the cost if you value your time and calculate that into the cost of doing the yarn yourself.)
I don't know what other people get in other areas for their wool.
I think it is very important to get a breed of sheep that spinners want the wool, you know the old supply and demand thing.
Then getting a good healthy fleece, keeping the sheep in good healthy condition. Having good clean fleeces.
Sandra, sorry that I can't help you with the goat fiber. I don't have goats so I can not give you information. I do purchase some occassionally to mix in with wool.
Sorry that I couldn't be more help girls.
Sarita in Mo.
www.coffmanspinningcfarm.blogspot.com
Contentment is the crown jewel of a happy life. |
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grace gerber
True Blue Farmgirl
2804 Posts
grace
larkspur
colorado
USA
2804 Posts |
Posted - Apr 30 2009 : 07:30:54 AM
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O.K. here goes
Cashmere does not have to be shorn off but can be brushed. They release their fiber but you will have guard hairs. That is where you lose some money if the genetics is not top. If you have bred correctly you do not have to send the fibers out to be worked but you can just pull the guard hairs out by hand. Average range is $5.00 to $12.00 per ounce. Yes, ounce. Color, micro count, length and prep all come into play.
Angora has to be shorn but I do mine with regular scissors. Here the kid (baby) is the most expensive $4.00 to 8.00 per ounce depending on the same varibles. If you have great genes and feed them correctly you can keep their lusture, length and desire many years into their life. Adult fiber is tricky because some will get coarse, that is why they are known for the most expensive rugs in the world - Mohair will last forever and dyes fantastic and has a sheen that remains.
Cashgora is the most expensive and also the trickest to produce. I get $19.00 to $25.00 per HALF ounce... Worth the read.. You really have to know your genetic lines of your herd, the breeding patterns of the animals and also fiber. This requires study but as I said well worth it. I have waiting lists for this fiber and again I only have to use a pair of scissors. I control what is shorn, when, why and how which gives you top dollar. I will be posting pictures of my new babies on my blog in the next day or two and you can see what a Cashgora looks like. I will have several for sale this year. Up until now every baby has been spoken for before their birth but since I have downsized the farm I have not worked at selling the babies but rather just selling the fiber.
Hope that helps and let me know if I can offer anymore info.
Grace Gerber
Larkspur Funny Farm and Fiber Art Studio
Where the spirits are high and the fiber is deep
http://www.larkspurfunnyfarm.etsy.com
http://larkspurfunnyfarm.blogspot.com
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grace gerber
True Blue Farmgirl
2804 Posts
grace
larkspur
colorado
USA
2804 Posts |
Posted - Apr 30 2009 : 07:32:01 AM
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O.K. here goes
Cashmere does not have to be shorn off but can be brushed. They release their fiber but you will have guard hairs. That is where you lose some money if the genetics is not top. If you have bred correctly you do not have to send the fibers out to be worked but you can just pull the guard hairs out by hand. Average range is $5.00 to $12.00 per ounce. Yes, ounce. Color, micro count, length and prep all come into play.
Angora has to be shorn but I do mine with regular scissors. Here the kid (baby) is the most expensive $4.00 to 8.00 per ounce depending on the same varibles. If you have great genes and feed them correctly you can keep their lusture, length and desire many years into their life. Adult fiber is tricky because some will get coarse, that is why they are known for the most expensive rugs in the world - Mohair will last forever and dyes fantastic and has a sheen that remains.
Cashgora is the most expensive and also the trickest to produce. I get $19.00 to $25.00 per HALF ounce... Worth the read.. You really have to know your genetic lines of your herd, the breeding patterns of the animals and also fiber. This requires study but as I said well worth it. I have waiting lists for this fiber and again I only have to use a pair of scissors. I control what is shorn, when, why and how which gives you top dollar. I will be posting pictures of my new babies on my blog in the next day or two and you can see what a Cashgora looks like. I will have several for sale this year. Up until now every baby has been spoken for before their birth but since I have downsized the farm I have not worked at selling the babies but rather just selling the fiber.
Hope that helps and let me know if I can offer anymore info.
Grace Gerber
Larkspur Funny Farm and Fiber Art Studio
Where the spirits are high and the fiber is deep
http://www.larkspurfunnyfarm.etsy.com
http://larkspurfunnyfarm.blogspot.com
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twzlrwho
True Blue Farmgirl
199 Posts
christina
dewitt
va
USA
199 Posts |
Posted - Apr 30 2009 : 10:17:07 AM
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Thanks Sarita and Grace. I just don't know. This is all really overwhelming. Yes, Grace I'd love to see what it looks like. I guess I am just a hands on learner and pics really help.
Christina
Work like you don't have to, love like you've never been hurt, and dance like nobody is watching :) |
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Old Spirit
True Blue Farmgirl
1509 Posts
Rae
MN
1509 Posts |
Posted - Apr 30 2009 : 10:26:43 AM
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Christina
Don't feel alone, I get overwhelmed as well. So much is new for me but yet I am so excited at all that I am learning. Farmgirls have so much info and so willing to share and help us out!!!
Rae
...those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles:...
Isaiah 40:31 |
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Jami
True Blue Farmgirl
1238 Posts
Jami
Ellensburg
WA
USA
1238 Posts |
Posted - Apr 30 2009 : 10:45:52 AM
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To sell handspinning fleeces, I would suggest you get hooked up with your local spinning guild or group. There's your target market to start with. Also there are Yahoo groups that are specifically for marketing fiber, trade fiber, etc. Once you get proficient at offering a quality product that locals have give you feedback on, you can try Etsy, dyeing it, etc.
It is overwhelming and I have to be honest, there are a ton of people selling wool and other fibers out there...lots of competition online.
Wool pools vary but to sell wool on the commercial market which will bring you the least return, contact your state sheep association to get your most local wool pools contact information. It usually requires joining a county organization to belong to the pool and be able to market the wool through it.
Jami in WA
Farmgirl Sister #266
http://cookecreeksheep.blogspot.com
http://cookecreekwool.etsy.com |
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Keeper of the Past
True Blue Farmgirl
925 Posts
Sarita
Battle Creek
Michigan
USA
925 Posts |
Posted - Apr 30 2009 : 11:01:00 AM
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Christina, are you a spinner? I think being a spinner and knowing what product and quality has helped me to sell my fleeces. Being a member of a spinner's guild also will help, you will be gathering with people that will be needing wool to spin. If you have got someone already asking for the fleece, you already have a start. Your sheep's fleece is a good wool to spin and many spinner's like that breed of wool. Have they told you what they are willing to pay?
Sarita in Mo.
www.coffmanspinningcfarm.blogspot.com
Contentment is the crown jewel of a happy life. |
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Barnyard Buddies: price of wool |
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price of wool
