I did not realise wool was worthless

[unlacedgecko]

calling him that sounds a bit rich coming from someone whos 'best friend' is a stuffed panda

Jealousy doesn't suit you

A TFF high noon shootout for the panda's love. Who will win her fair black and white hand?

The Scottish Chin or the West Country Trash? Surely a battle for the ages.

 

[tepapa]

A

This year shearing cost me £1080. Wool sales returned £540.

Is it any wonder I'm breeding the wool off?

But if you'd tried breeding your flock for better wool it might have returned £600

 

[Nithsdale]

A

But if you'd tried breeding your flock for better wool it might have returned £600

Or if he tries selling shedders in the livering it'll cost him a lot more than just £600

 

[Tim W]

It takes a wool shedding weirdo to talk some sense about wool and the Wool Board

I like wool ----i just want to get paid for it

I predict that unless there are drastic changes in the next few years that the ''weirdos'' will be those that insist on continuing farming wool
Shearing will just become a sport in the ''Rural Games '' (after the watershed viewing on obscure sports channels)

 

[Nithsdale]

Shearing will just become a sport in the ''Rural Games '' (after the watershed viewing on obscure sports channels)

They gonna start a woman's underwear shearing league like the NFL did in good ol' USofA??

 

[unlacedgecko]

Or if he tries selling shedders in the livering it'll cost him a lot more than just £600

I'm not convinced that's right.

 

[Nithsdale]

I'm not convinced that's right.

Try selling them in D&G and they'd cost you even more

Few years ago now but there was a farm sold Easycare lambs through the ring in Dumfries for a year or 2. It was embarrassing to watch how little they made - and IMO they weren't bad lambs... they just weren't Texels or Beltex so the buyers wouldn't bid

 

[J428TGS]

If you want fine wool

 

[Hill Ground]

These are older tups and would be averaging around 25 micron. These are totally unshepherded sheep so even though they are blocky they are also easy lambing. These originated from a Romney many years ago but were crossed with many other breeds and yes there is some Texel as well!
View attachment 1122122

Totally unshepherded.... With their heads down eating!!

 

[Hilly]

I pre-lamb shear and I don't dag. I try to minimise the impact of wool. But I'm still breeding it off as fast as possible.

Im tempted as well , sick of wool big waste of time . Are dorpers any good ? I like to stirr up the traditionalists in the locality

 

[Hill Ground]

Im tempted as well , sick of wool big waste of time . Are dorpers any good ? I like to stirr up the traditionalists in the locality

I understand its the feet that let them down. Not sure if they're more suited to a drier climate?!

 

[Bill dog]

Im tempted as well , sick of wool big waste of time . Are dorpers any good ? I like to stirr up the traditionalists in the locality

@unlacedgecko is the man with history of using dorper rams. I can attest that the lambs looked well, and shapey !
He may also have shedding gimmers for sale !
Photo is of Jnr management with 1 of his dorper lambs

 

[Jackov Altraids]

It takes a wool shedding weirdo to talk some sense about wool and the Wool Board

It's weird that someone who has obviously done the sums and is breeding sheep without wool because it is cost effective should suggest breeding sheep with better wool would be any kind of a proposition.

Has anyone else come up with uses for wool that give a proper return to farmers ?
The price of wool has very little to do with the wool board and they have a hard time increasing returns for it
Even super economists like ol' Boris would struggle i think

The only people that are getting any decent return for their wool are those that are taking matters into their own hands, taking responsibility to improve the quality of their crop and then to market the finished product themselves

If someone paid me for a week or 2, I'm sure I could.

And that is the problem, "The price of wool has very little to do with the wool board".
I would love someone to explain How?, When?, and Why? , British Wool dropped the 'marketing board'.
What other marketing board doesn't try to control price.

 

[unlacedgecko]

If you want fine wool
View attachment 1122369

They're cheap. They're maternal. And they're really easy to breed the wool off.

 

[Nithsdale]

If someone paid me for a week or 2, I'm sure I could.

Get yourself on the wool board then. They'll pay you.

Show us all how easy it is

 

[unlacedgecko]

Im tempted as well , sick of wool big waste of time . Are dorpers any good ? I like to stirr up the traditionalists in the locality

They're shapey and seem to have good growth. But the feet are fücking terrible. I've shot 3 out of 4 dorper rams and the last is lame (but at least he's responding to treatment).

There's a lot of lameness in the half cross lambs at the moment. As per usual, anything lame will get treated then culled. Maybe those I retain will be useful. They'll go to the easycare rams.

I think there is some useful genetics in there, but there maybe better sources for the same traits, if you take my meaning.

I'll have 50ish shedding 2ths for sale next month. But if you really want to stir up the neighbours, I've 200ish shetex inverdale for sale at the same time.

Small maternal highly fertile sheep. They do still have wool though.

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

Totally unshepherded.... With their heads down eating!!

These were some of the Stud rams that were kept away from the main farms and were living on an airfield in a 12" rainfall area where it hadn't rain for many weeks. They were getting 200 grams of feed a day.

 

[J428TGS]

They're cheap. They're maternal. And they're really easy to breed the wool off.

Best wool around, why would you do that, I Dunna Ken how Lang a naked Shetland would last up here

 

[unlacedgecko]

Best wool around, why would you do that, I Dunna Ken how Lang a naked Shetland would last up here

I dunno where "up here" is, but there's shedders farmed successfully all across Scotland.

I breed the wool off them because it's a net loss. Sheep that shed their wool will make me more profit.

Also, I'm very lazy.

 

[tepapa]

Best wool around, why would you do that, I Dunna Ken how Lang a naked Shetland would last up here

They do have a wool/hair coat all winter, they just loose it as the weather improves.