Wool What Will You Do With It?

[Poorbuthappy]

Aye... But the moisture content is measured, and the sheet weight adjusted accordingly.

You are only paid for the weight of wool, not water.

Since when?
I've watched mine graded times and unless it's obviously wet (in which case it's put out to dry) it's graded then each grade weighed in its trolley. Trolleys are then sent down the line to the baler. Never seen any measurement of moisture, or allowance for it?

 

[sheepwise]

Aye... But the moisture content is measured, and the sheet weight adjusted accordingly.

You are only paid for the weight of wool, not water.

Are you sure?

 

[Grassman]

I would think it's just down to the graders common sense and experience.

 

[ThatsSomeSheep]

My Irish buyer "weighs and pays".

No faffing around grading or measuring moisture or such like.

Clip value just about pays the clippers.

My flock is now around 6 times larger than 5 years ago. I wouldn't want to hang around for 12 months waiting on wool board Payment based on less sheep than I have clipped. Sometimes I can have my wool £ in the bank before I receive the clippers bill.

I applaud co-operation in farming - SAOS, the rings etc do a fantastic job.

But it's not true co-operation if it's forced!

Also. Taking note of what @Frank-the-Wool admitted re wool board pension liabilities - I don't feel it should be the job of my newish, growing business to carry that burden!

Personally I find the whole BWMB thing an anachronistic turn-off.

TSS

 

[Grassman]

My Irish buyer "weighs and pays".

No faffing around grading or measuring moisture or such like.

Clip value just about pays the clippers.

My flock is now around 6 times larger than 5 years ago. I wouldn't want to hang around for 12 months waiting on wool board Payment based on less sheep than I have clipped. Sometimes I can have my wool £ in the bank before I receive the clippers bill.

I applaud co-operation in farming - SAOS, the rings etc do a fantastic job.

But it's not true co-operation if it's forced!

Also. Taking note of what @Frank-the-Wool admitted re wool board pension liabilities - I don't feel it should be the job of my newish, growing business to carry that burden!

Personally I find the whole BWMB thing an anachronistic turn-off.

TSS

It does its job well really. It would be missed.
A bit like the milk marketing board. Looking back it was probably better than the situation now.

 

[neilo]

Since when?
I've watched mine graded times and unless it's obviously wet (in which case it's put out to dry) it's graded then each grade weighed in its trolley. Trolleys are then sent down the line to the baler. Never seen any measurement of moisture, or allowance for it?

Same here. I've never seen any moisture measuring, or means to do it. The same with dags, etc, it all gets weighed in the bags, and that's the weight you get paid for. I assume the graders would take note and make deductions if they find a load of shite (or too much sand) in the bags when they tip them out on the grading tables.

 

[neilo]

My Irish buyer "weighs and pays".

No faffing around grading or measuring moisture or such like.

Clip value just about pays the clippers.

If the Irish don't grade the wool, just pay a set price per kg, what happens with those producing higher value wool? Do they get the same as someone keeping Herdwicks?

I'm glad my clip value has always more than paid the shearers, but then maybe that's partly down to selling through someone that grades it? The only wool I sell that doesn't pay the clippers, is the lambs' fleeces, everything else always has.

 

[hally]

This was last year's cheque on 1100 ewes.
The Irish pay as well as anybody for good wool, but they have a second rate for poorer wool. As you can see it easily pays the clippers.

 

[ThatsSomeSheep]

If the Irish don't grade the wool, just pay a set price per kg, what happens with those producing higher value wool? Do they get the same as someone keeping Herdwicks?

I'm glad my clip value has always more than paid the shearers, but then maybe that's partly down to selling through someone that grades it? The only wool I sell that doesn't pay the clippers, is the lambs' fleeces, everything else always has.

Clipping always ends up costing around £2 as I need additional labour, not just the actual shearers.

I think I got £1.05/kg last year.

My Irish buyer -the local rep is actually a New Zealander most years- just asks what breeds are in the sheets and then weighs and pays.

TSS

 

[Nithsdale]

Clipping always ends up costing around £2 as I need additional labour, not just the actual shearers.

I think I got £1.05/kg last year.

My Irish buyer -the local rep is actually a New Zealander most years- just asks what breeds are in the sheets and then weighs and pays.

TSS

That answers my question I was about to ask you... (how much you pay for shearing)

Not aimed at you - but maybe it's time the industry considered wool as a product again? Improve what you grow, or go to wool shedders... As has been said before, if it doesn't pay (the shearers), why do it?





As for the moisture comment I made earlier. Unless it's a myth they roll out... iv heard it from several sources that moisture is taken into account.

 

[ThatsSomeSheep]

That answers my question I was about to ask you... (how much you pay for shearing)

Not aimed at you - but maybe it's time the industry considered wool as a product again? Improve what you grow, or go to wool shedders... As has been said before, if it doesn't pay (the shearers), why do it?





As for the moisture comment I made earlier. Unless it's a myth they roll out... iv heard it from several sources that moisture is taken into account.

£1.10 for the shearing, other labour will make it up to around £2 (depending on how many we clip in a day).

TSS

 

[unlacedgecko]

£1.10 for the shearing, other labour will make it up to around £2 (depending on how many we clip in a day).

TSS

You can add the cost of crutching to that as well, at the very least.

 

[neilo]

You can add the cost of crutching to that as well, at the very least.

If they needed crutching.....

As I've posted before, my main lot don't get shorn until mid-August, after weaning. The main reason is that there are no lambs to shed off then and I can pen up & roll on my own, without any extra labour needed. Earlier lambing groups are done after weaning too. Had too many years of running myself ragged trying to shed lambs off.

There are ways to simplify things if you think outside the box a little. Also gets a few locals scratching their heads when they see sheep in full fleece come August.

 

[Bill dog]

If they needed crutching.....

As I've posted before, my main lot don't get shorn until mid-August, after weaning. The main reason is that there are no lambs to shed off then and I can pen up & roll on my own, without any extra labour needed. Earlier lambing groups are done after weaning too. Had too many years of running myself ragged trying to shed lambs off.

There are ways to simplify things if you think outside the box a little. Also gets a few locals scratching their heads when they see sheep in full fleece come August.

That sounds like a bloody good idea , guess u use click etc in the spring ? The highlanders must have some yield of wool by then !

 

[neilo]

That sounds like a bloody good idea , guess u use click etc in the spring ? The highlanders must have some yield of wool by then !

I use half rate Clik, early on, which sees them through to shearing. They don't get anything after shearing, so it actually saves on fly treatment costs. If we were further South, they might need a short duration/cheap fly treatment later on I guess.
The ewes only have 12 months wool on (about 4kg), the same as if we sheared them in June every year, although we have been rained off through August in 2 years recently, which meant we sheared in September. I avoid dogging the ewes much when/if it's really hot, but they don't seem overly bothered by the heat.

 

[jackstor]

That answers my question I was about to ask you... (how much you pay for shearing)

Not aimed at you - but maybe it's time the industry considered wool as a product again? Improve what you grow, or go to wool shedders... As has been said before, if it doesn't pay (the shearers), why do it?

Wool is a product as long as there's someone to buy it, but I don't think the wool cheque will ever pay the rent again, its turning into a more niche product due to cheaper man made fibres.
As for improving the wool we grow, A fleece is worth a pound or two, but lambs could be worth at least £150 per ewe, would you consider improving the wool to the detriment of the lambs?
If wool was more valuable than lamb we'd all be keeping blue faced leicesters. If that was the case I think I would buy a lot of shares in a fallen stock company!!

 

[Bill dog]

I use half rate Clik, early on, which sees them through to shearing. They don't get anything after shearing, so it actually saves on fly treatment costs. If we were further South, they might need a short duration/cheap fly treatment later on I guess.
The ewes only have 12 months wool on (about 4kg), the same as if we sheared them in June every year, although we have been rained off through August in 2 years recently, which meant we sheared in September. I avoid dogging the ewes much when/if it's really hot, but they don't seem overly bothered by the heat.

As u said it's stressful enough without wrestling the lambs off the ewes as well. I think for next year I'll clip the Romneys with a cover comb instead of belly clipping mid to late Feb, then again in Aug/ sept. No experience of cover comb however, I just hope it would leave enough on them if( when ) it gets lumpy weather in March. All outdoor lambing !

 

[Nithsdale]

Wool is a product as long as there's someone to buy it, but I don't think the wool cheque will ever pay the rent again, its turning into a more niche product due to cheaper man made fibres.
As for improving the wool we grow, A fleece is worth a pound or two, but lambs could be worth at least £150 per ewe, would you consider improving the wool to the detriment of the lambs?
If wool was more valuable than lamb we'd all be keeping blue faced leicesters. If that was the case I think I would buy a lot of shares in a fallen stock company!!

To an awful many, wool is not seen as product, though. Just a byproduct, and a job which needs done.

I never once suggested wool would pay the rent. But I believe it should do much more than 'just pay the shearers'. If your running at a loss, surely it should be considered why? It's deemed unacceptable in any other aspect - so why is wool any different, unless it's regarded as a by product, and waste...

Why does wool have to be to the detriment of the lamb? Look at Romney sheep for example - high yielding wool, which is higher value then most and it is of no detriment to the fat lambs those ewes produce!

The BFL is not a good example, the crop of wool may be valuable - but very little of it.

 

[yellowbelly]

I avoid dogging the ewes much when/if it's really hot, but they don't seem overly bothered by the heat.

Wool, being a good insulator, keeps heat out as well as it keeps heat in. IME, when showing Lincolns in full wool in the summer, the lay people looking on always say, "They must be hot, just look at them panting."
When you tell them to compare them to some shorn breeds in adjacent pens, they realise all sheep appear to pant because of their higher respiration rate.

 

[neilo]

To an awful many, wool is not seen as product, though. Just a byproduct, and a job which needs done.

I never once suggested wool would pay the rent. But I believe it should do much more than 'just pay the shearers'. If your running at a loss, surely it should be considered why? It's deemed unacceptable in any other aspect - so why is wool any different, unless it's regarded as a by product, and waste...

Why does wool have to be to the detriment of the lamb? Look at Romney sheep for example - high yielding wool, which is higher value then most and it is of no detriment to the fat lambs those ewes produce!

The BFL is not a good example, the crop of wool may be valuable - but very little of it.

Sheep producing a lot of wool, must be diverting protein towards producing it. Given the same protein input, unless those sheep are more efficient, it must have a cost to meat production (whatever Romney enthusiasts might tell us).