By Cherie Langlois

About the Author Cherie Langlois is a Washington-based writer who keeps Jacob sheep. A Canadian mill transforms her flock’s spotted fleeces into beautiful blankets.

For Robin Nistock of Prattsburg, N.Y., growing up around her parents’ commercial flock of sheep coupled with catching the spinning bug in the late 1980s, it was only natural that she would have her own sheep one day. “When I got married, my husband got a package deal—me, a few sheep and my Irish Wolfhound,” she says.

Nistock decided she couldn’t settle on one ovine breed because “so many had fleece attributes I admired.”  Since she began breeding for fleece quality in 1990, her flock has evolved to include ewes with Border Leicester, Romney, Corriedale and Finn influence.  She introduced Moorit coloring and increasing fineness to her sheep’s fleeces with Moorit rams. She also became enamored with purebred Cotswolds and acquired some a few years ago.  Today her flock has 65 ewes and eight rams, giving her a range of fine, medium and long wools in white and natural colors.  “I market the main part of my fleeces to hand spinners, either as raw fleece or roving,” says Nistock, whose raw fleeces sell for between $7.50 and $12 a pound depending on color, crimp, luster and other factors.  “Being a one-man band, I can’t quite keep up with what the sheep give me and the demand for spinning fiber.”

Got Fleece? Got wool coming out of your ears? If so, check out the many ways—from the profitable to the practical—to use all that fluff. Market fleeces to hand spinners  Process wool into yarn or roving to sell Spin fiber into specialty yarns yourself Hand-dye wool or yarn to sell Sell items knitted, woven, crocheted, felted or hooked from your yarn Market craft kits (i.e. spindles and wool, knitting needles and yarn) Use for Santa beards, pillow stuffing and other craft projects Trade wool for goods and services Use dirty or poor-quality wool as garden mulch

Feeling envious?  If you’ve already discovered the joy of having a wee flock of sheep adorning your farm, you may have also dreamt about those animals and their fluffy fleeces growing into an actual money-making business.  It’s true:  Hand spinners, those talented folks who turn wool fibers into yarn with a whirl of the wheel, will pay premium prices for fleeces—but only if they’re of high quality.  Here, experienced sheep raisers tell you how to tap this market by taking your wool production to a higher level.   
  
Growing Quality Fleeces
Wool is a wonderful fiber to work with and to wear; it’s natural, it’s breathable and it’s insulating.  Depending on what type of yarn they’re spinning and its ultimate use, hand spinners look for wool in a variety of colors and textures.  Yarn made of finer Merino wool, for instance, may be perfect for a soft scarf or a baby sweater; yarn composed of the rough fleece of a Scottish Blackface is ideal for hooking a tough rug.  “You need to know what your wool is good for and how to educate your buyers,” says Judy Taylor, a spinner and a rug-hooker who has raised Jacob sheep for 18 years on Edeldal Farm in Auburn, Wash.  “There’s a perfect project for every fleece.”

Although their tastes may vary, spinners want fleeces that are consistent from front to back and that are free of second cuts, wool breaks and vegetation.  Adopt the following strategies and you’ll be well on your way to pleasing the pickiest spinner. Keep it clean. 

Pristine wool doesn’t happen by itself.  Sheep can make a surprising mess of their fleeces by scratching against trees, by cavorting through weeds and by dragging alfalfa across each other’s backs as they eat. Not surprisingly, a fleece tangled with bits of hay or marred by manure tags won’t make your hand spinning clients happy--or earn you repeat customers.   

“My number one strategy is to keep the fleeces clean. Cleanliness is the main thing that makes a difference in the price you get for a fleece,” says Dee Heinrich, who raises Romneys and Romney-crosses at Peeper Hollow Farm in Marion, Iowa. Heinrich coats her sheep to keep their wool from becoming contaminated with debris, a practice she began after her first disastrous shearing that took her hours to pick enough straw, seed heads and dirt out of one fleece to meet her high standards. According to Australian studies, sheep coats or covers lead to higher wool yields and protect fleeces against sun damage and rot.   
 
Nistock also keeps her sheep coated all year—except for her Cotswolds, whose curly fleeces tend to felt (even when their garments fit perfectly). Indeed, it’s a good idea to test a few animals to determine if coats are appropriate for your breed and your situation.  Keep in mind that covers should consist of breathable material that won’t cause the wool to mildew, and they need to be washed and changed regularly as the wool grows.  Nistock, who uses durable Rocky Mountain Sheep Suits on her flock, changes coat sizes a minimum of three times per sheep in between shearings. (Sheep covers can be purchased at the Rocky Sheep website or the Sheep Covers website.) 

What’s a FAMACHA©? One increasing problem with parasite control in livestock concerns the development of drug resistance in worms. Developed in South Africa, FAMACHA© is a clinical system for controlling the barber pole worm (Haemonchus contortus), a common parasite infesting goats and sheep in warmer areas.  The FAMACHA© method aims to slow the progress of dewormer resistance by allowing raisers to identify and to selectively treat only those animals that truly need deworming. Farmers regularly check the mucous membranes around animal’s eyes and compare the color to illustrations on a card portraying various levels of anemia (anemia being the main symptom of infestation by this parasite).  Only those animals scored as anemic are treated, which translates to fewer treatments and money saved. “It’s not a difficult system to learn, but it’s a good idea to have someone who is certified in it teach you,” advises Paul Walker.  “When starting this system, we blanket deworm all the animals on the farm.  Then when it comes time to deworm again, we go through and check eyelid color.  Any animal that has white or pinkish-white membranes gets treated again.  The whole purpose of this program is to mark the animals that have to be treated frequently and to cull them out and keep the ones that are parasite resistant.” For more information, log onto the Southern Consortium for Small Ruminant Parasite Control website and click on FAMACHA© info.

The type of feeder you use will also affect the cleanliness of your flock’s fleeces.  Heinrich went from wall-mounted feeders which rained hay onto her animals as they ate, to a modified bale feeder which sits on the ground and helps prevent this messy problem. Feeding technique counts, too; sheep are notorious for sauntering into the line of fire as you dish out dinner.  “I always put out hay with the barn door closed and let the animals in when all the food is out,” says Taylor. 

It’s important to keep wool sheep in a clean environment and out of brush and mud, adds Paul Walker, a Livestock Extension Agent in North Carolina’s Alamance County. Combat mud around your barns and manage your fields to reduce wool-contaminating weeds.  Watch what you use for barn bedding—wood shavings are notoriously difficult to remove from fleece.  Straw or a layer of straw over shavings is a better option. Strive for healthy sheep and avoid unnecessary stress.

Wool production benefits from healthy animals, says Walker.  Good nutrition, well-managed pastures, and appropriate parasite control and vaccination programs will all translate into better fleeces and more wool per animal.

“My sheep maintain a good, steady plane of nutrition all year,” Nistock explains. “I don’t pour grain down them, but I do make sure they don’t go into a marked weight loss situation that may show up as a wool break later. While it’s true that good sheep shouldn’t need to be fed a lot of concentrates and coddled in a barn, it’s also true that you have to give an animal better than they’d find in the wild if you really expect them to produce a high-quality product.”

Taylor also views diet as an important ingredient for producing fine fleeces.  In September she starts supplementing her flock’s grazing with quality alfalfa.  By October’s end, when the animals are moved off the fields, they’re receiving alfalfa morning and night. The ewes get grain year-round, and Taylor increases their concentrates during pregnancy and lactation to prevent weight loss.

Heavy worm burdens can negatively impact your flock’s fleeces:  you’ll see a break or a tenderness in the wool, explains Heinrich, who advocates pasture rotation as a way of controlling parasites.  Sheep should also be treated for external parasites like keds and lice that can cause itching and rubbing—a definite wool-spoiler.   

Finally, try to avoid stressing your flock unnecessarily.  Make captures in a confined area so you won’t have to chase your sheep around the pasture (it’ll be less stressful for you, too) and don’t grab them by their wool. Have hoof trimmers, styptic powder, vaccinations and other supplies organized and ready to make your sheep’s time in the stanchion short and sweet. Keep fences in good repair so dogs and other predators won’t harass your flock or consider acquiring a guardian animal. Take time to tame your sheep by doling out treats and by scratching their favorite spots (Taylor says her sheep like to be stroked where the neck meets the chest); they’ll be more relaxed if they don’t think you’re the big bad wolf.

Treat Wool Right at Shearing Time and Beyond
When shearing day arrives, make sure your animals’ wool is dry—keep them inside for the night, if necessary—and arrange a dry, clean and well-lit area in which to shear. A sheet of plywood makes an easy-clean, non-skid surface for your shearer to work on. Have bags or boxes ready and keep a broom handy to sweep away dust, straw and bits of wool between each shearing.

Practical Shepherding Tips from the Pros 1. Corral sheep in the smallest space available at shearing or at vaccination time.  “In a small space, you can reach out and grab the one you want with a minimum of fuss,” says Judy Taylor. 2. Keep timely records.  “Record things as they happen; definitely the same day,” advises Robin Nistock. 3. Get a herding dog.  “It’s so much easier to control sheep with a dog instead of a bucket of grain,” says Dee Heinrich. 4.  Check out hair sheep if you don’t have the time or inclination to deal with wool.  “Hair sheep tend to be more parasite-resistant and heat-tolerant, and their lambs are more vigorous when they’re born,” says Paul Walker.

Shearing is tough work and it takes plenty of practice to become proficient enough to produce saleable fleeces.  Taylor, for one, finds the time and the effort worth it. “I shear my animals myself, in a stanchion, with regular scissors,” she says. “I get a close-up view of the fibers, and can control which bag the wool goes into (the perfect body wool in one bag, the coarser leg wool or wool with vegetation in another bag). I think one of the best ways to become a good shearer is to learn to spin—it will help you know what the spinner is looking for.”

If you don’t want to tackle this job yourself, find an experienced shearer who knows how to avoid second cuts (hand spinners dislike these snippets of wool) and who will handle your sheep safely. Treat your flock’s wool well after shearing. Heinrich ties each fleece up in a bed sheet right after it comes off the sheep so the wool stays clean while sitting around the barn.  She skirts each fleece by about half to remove poorer quality and soiled wool, which she saves for craft projects or mulch. 
Avoid storing fleeces long-term, advises Taylor.  When you must store them, scour (clean) the wool and dry it, then stash the fiber in breathable paper bags or cardboard boxes in a spot where it will stay clean and dry.  If you notice or suspect moth problems, Taylor recommends putting the wool in plastic bags and freezing it overnight to kill eggs and larvae.   

Breeding Stock Selection
Selecting healthy breeding stock and constructing a careful breeding program will also contribute to the quality of your flock’s fleeces.  If you’re starting from scratch and you’ve already settled on a breed, Taylor suggests first learning about the breed’s standard and visiting as many flocks as possible—along with sheep and fleece shows—before choosing your own animals.

The health of your new stock is paramount, so it’s best to avoid purchasing “bargain” sheep from auctions. Instead, look for healthy individuals from a reputable, private producer who will be candid about her flock’s health history.  Nistock suggests checking potential breeding stock for at least the following:  two normal testicles or functional teats, sound feet, a normal bite and size appropriate to age. The animal should have no udder lumps, skin lesions or other signs of ill health such as diarrhea, runny eyes or nose, or pale gums. “The easiest way to get a disease is to buy it and bring it home,” Nistock stresses.  “There are many blood tests available and you shouldn’t hesitate to ask that they be done on potential breeding stock.”  Ask your veterinarian what tests he or she recommends for your area. 

If you already keep sheep, think about where you want to go with your flock as far as conformation, fleece and other inherited characteristics. Choose new rams with care and acquire the best you can.  Since a ram covers many ewes and passes his genetics on to all his offspring, he’ll impact your breeding program—positively or negatively—for a long time to come. “When I bought our new ram, I looked at my flock and decided what I wanted to improve,” says Heinrich.  “My emphasis is on fleece and I wanted to go finer, so in my ram I looked for a pure Romney on the fine side. He’ll take my entire flock and move it to the finer end.”

Marketing That Fluff
So your efforts paid off and you have bags of lovely, clean wool just begging to be spun or felted or….something.  What now?  Unfortunately, hand spinners won’t come flocking to buy your wool on their own; as with any business, it requires good marketing to bring in customers.  Some possible ways to market your fleeces include advertising at craft shops and shows, attending spinning guild meetings, exhibiting at craft or fiber shows, entering fleece competitions, selling 24/7 on your own Web site and offering wool through on-line auction sites. 

Provide your customers with superior wool the first time around and chances are they’ll be back for more.

This article first appeared in the March/April 2006 issue of Hobby Farms magazine. Subscribe to Hobby Farms today!!