With shearing scheduled for next week, our stretch of fine weather is predicted to turn a 180 and trend wintry. (In light of the timing, does “ewe-turn” work?) Until that turn, we’re cheering for continued moderate temperatures. Days of sun and 40+ degrees have shrunk our expansive ice rinks, and I no longer must cling like a burr to corral rails in order to stay upright as I go about my chores. Nevertheless, treacherous patches remain and I hope the muddy aftermath on trailing edges of each shrinking ice sheet will dry before we must sort ewes prior to shearing day. While Prairie Island fleeces earn no bragging rights for fine fiber diameter and next-to-skin comfort factor, I take pride in the cleanliness and yield of our wool clip. The need to sort ewes in mud-sloppy corrals can ruin that in a hurry. May the melting continue, accompanied by drying wind.
And why do we need to sort sheep in advance of shearing? Columbia sheep should not have black fibers in their wool. Many of our cross-bred ewes have Suffolk heritage and may have black wool in their fleece. Such colored fibers lessen fleece value in the commercial wool market, so the Columbias get sheared first and bagged separately so that black fibers cannot contaminate the white fleeces. Additionally, many of the cross-bred ewes have coarser wool than the Columbias. Small differences in fiber diameter, often indiscernible with the naked eye but measured in microns by accurate scanning tools, yield significant price differentials in marketing.
Until our shearing date, I am readying the barn, preparing make-ahead lunch food, and organizing my to-do list.
And why do we need to sort sheep in advance of shearing? Columbia sheep should not have black fibers in their wool. Many of our cross-bred ewes have Suffolk heritage and may have black wool in their fleece. Such colored fibers lessen fleece value in the commercial wool market, so the Columbias get sheared first and bagged separately so that black fibers cannot contaminate the white fleeces. Additionally, many of the cross-bred ewes have coarser wool than the Columbias. Small differences in fiber diameter, often indiscernible with the naked eye but measured in microns by accurate scanning tools, yield significant price differentials in marketing.
Until our shearing date, I am readying the barn, preparing make-ahead lunch food, and organizing my to-do list.
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