How to Care for Raw Wool
Raw wool is a unique commodity, and it is important to care for it properly. Although it's fairly sturdy when it's on the sheep, wool requires more care after it is removed from the animals. It must be kept very clean during shearing, stored in an area free from contaminants and insects, and then kept as dry as possible.
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Instructions
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Set up your shearing area to keep the wool as clean as possible as it is taken off the sheep. If you are not shearing on a floor that can be kept free of dirt and debris, place a clean, nonfibrous tarp on the ground. Sweep the floor or tarp between sheep to keep it as clean as possible. Handle the wool carefully as it comes off the sheep, and place the fleece on the tarp, with the cut side of the wool up.
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Skirt the wool fleece by removing manure tags, urine-stained areas, or any other extremely dirty or discolored edges. Place the discards in a separate location to be later bagged separately.
Gently shake the desirable portion of the fleece to remove loose debris. Fold each side of the fleece like a window shutter, toward the middle, so that the cut, clean sides are facing each other and the dirty sides face out. Roll the fleece from the cleanest end to the dirtiest.
Use rope that will not shed fibers that could contaminate the wool over time to tie the fleece bundle---many professional wool producers use heavy paper twine for this purpose.
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Determine whether you will be selling your wool fleeces individually to the hand-spinning market or selling the whole lot to a commercial wool cooperative. Package spinning fleeces in individual bags and combine commercial ones in the largest bags feasible for your operation and cooperative. Keep like-colored fleeces in the same bag and do not mix fleece colors.
Select only bags that will not shed fibers that will contaminate the wool, heavy-duty muslin fabric is often used. Be very careful if using burlap or plastic weave because these bags tend to break down over the years and can leave small, coarse fibers in the wool that will render it useless.
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Keep an accurate tagging system to record information about the wool contained in each bag, including sheep breed, year of shearing, number of fleeces, and individual sheep identification if available. List the grade of wool if you have a rating system in place. Use sturdy tags that will be able to withstand the tugging and pulling caused as the heavy wool bags rub together when handled.
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Be vigilant regarding the amount of moisture in the area where you store your raw wool. Maintain adequate ventilation to keep dampness to a minimum, since raw wool will mold easily if moisture condenses upon it. Distribute fragrant cedar pieces to ward off wool moths, or use chemical deterrents. Remember to occasionally rotate the storage bags and check the flooring underneath for any signs of mold or mildew, which will ruin the fiber.
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Tips & Warnings
Many farmers watch the prices being paid for wool in their area; when the prices are low, they store fleeces to sell them later, when prices have returned to more favorable levels.
The general goal when shearing and handling raw wool fleeces is to keep them as clean as possible. Never place a raw wool fleece in an area where it can pick up additional debris that will require extra work to remove.
Damp wool combined with the wrong bacteria can spontaneously combust. Even though the wool will not burn easily, bags and surrounding wood or hay can start a dangerous barn fire.
Raw wool fleeces are heavy. People, especially small children, can become trapped and even suffocate if caught under hundreds of pounds of wool bags. Use appropriate caution.
Do not use plastic bags for raw wool storage, since wool absorbs and gives off moisture due to ambient humidity and temperature conditions. Plastic will trap the moisture that condenses inside the bag and cause the wool to mold.
Check wool bags every month or so to catch potential problems early. Watch for moisture, vermin, and the dreaded wool moths, which can destroy wool fiber as they infest it and lay their eggs there.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit sheep image by Irina Kodentseva from Fotolia.com
