Wool Quality and Evaluation PDF

SDSU EXTENSION Wool Quality and Evaluation Jaelyn Whaley – Sheep Field Specialist SDSU Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer in accordance with the nondiscrimination policies of South Dakota State University, the South Dakota...

SDSU EXTENSION Wool Quality and Evaluation Jaelyn Whaley – Sheep Field Specialist SDSU Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer in accordance with the nondiscrimination policies of South Dakota State University, the South Dakota Board of Regents and the United States Department of Agriculture. Learn more at extension.sdstate.edu.  Why is wool cool? Fire Resistant – Wool is non-flammable. It won’t melt or stick to skin when it burns. Moisture wicking – It can retain 30% of its weight before it feels wet! This is why wool is warm on wet winter days and cool when you sweat! Durable – The crimp and structure of wool fibers make it very elastic and helps hold its shape. That’s why wool carpets last so long and you can wash and wear wool garments without them losing shape. Sustainable – Wool is biodegradable, renewable, and emits less greenhouse gasses during production than manmade products. Buying wool means reducing your carbon footprint! Odor-resistant – Small scales on wool fibers overlap to keep out dirt and moisture on the surface reducing its ability to hold onto odor causing microbes! Light weight – Even bulky wool fabrics have relatively low mass because of wool’s low density. Protective – With an UV protection factor of 30+, wool offers more protection from harmful rays than most synthetics or cotton. © 2021 South Dakota Board of Regents 2 Why is shearing necessary? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zt2drSFCQD4 © 2021 South Dakota Board of Regents 4 © 2021 South Dakota Board of Regents 5  1. Grade What wool How fine is the micron of the wool? qualities are 2. Weight and yield important? How much clean wool will your fleece produce? 3.Length All wool should be at least 3 inches in length 4.Color, crimp, condition How does the fleece look and feel? © 2021 South Dakota Board of Regents 6  Wool Grade Designation of wool fineness based on fiber diameter and the variation in fiber diameter Broad categories include fine, medium, and coarse Also sometimes talked about as: Micron: the actual micro-meter measurement captured by testing with a laser Higher micron = coarser wool Spinning Count: the number of hanks (560 yards) that can be produced with 1 lb of that wool One pound of 64’s spin count wool can produce 35,840 yards of yarn (560 x 64 = 35,840) Higher spin count = finer wool Blood Grade: old reference to grade based around the likely % of Merino genetics Today, it is typically only used in youth wool judging as the official grade Blood grades: Fine, Half, Three-eighths, Quarter, and Low Quarter © 2021 South Dakota Board of Regents 7 Wool Types Fine wool grades: small diameter, little rigidity Best for close to skin clothing (socks, shirts, base layers) Medium Grades: In the “middle” in terms of diameter and rigidity Used for socks, blankets, sweaters, etc. Coarse grades: largest diameter, most rigid Lowest value, used for carpet, blankets, or insulation © 2021 South Dakota Board of Regents 8 Terminology Staple: a fiber bundle with many small fibers that make up a larger bundle Medullated Fibers: “hollow” center, dyes can penetrate to the core of the fiber © 2021 South Dakota Board of Regents 9  Spinning Blood Grade Count Micron Breeds Finer than 80’s 40.20 © 2021 South Dakota Board of Regents 10  Grease Fleece Weight & Clean Wool Yield How much clean wool will the fleece produce? How clean does the wool look? Dirt Vegetable matter (VM)? Hay, chaff, bedding? Mud, manure, etc. Official clean wool yield is tested in a lab Sometimes, heavy fleeces are just dirty fleeces A 10 lb fleece with 50% clean yield  5 lb clean wool A 10 lb fleece with 60% clean yield  6 lb clean wool © 2021 South Dakota Board of Regents 11 How to improve your yield Management How your providing feed Forage increases potential for VM Reduce the use of overhead hay feeders Housing Keeping facilities clean, dry Bedding – shavings can get stuck in the wool Dry lots may increase the amount of dust Keeping the shearing floor clean © 2021 South Dakota Board of Regents 12 How to improve your yield Skirting Removing low yielding areas of the fleece High VM, medullated (hair) fibers, belly wool Done on a slatted table Allows dirt and second cuts to fall through Scobie et al., 2015 © 2021 South Dakota Board of Regents 13 Length 3 inches is required Fleeces should reflect 1 year's growth Coarser fleeces are typically longer Longer staples are more ideal but not overgrown >5” is hard to process Test for tender/broken fleeces © 2021 South Dakota Board of Regents 14  Color Bright and white! If the fleece is meant to be predominantly white, there Color, Crimp, should be no black spots Condition Colored fleeces – less sun bleaching No staining © 2021 South Dakota Board of Regents 15 Crimp Crimp can be an indicator of fineness Small, tight crimps = finer Big, wavy crimps = coarser Crimp is what gives wool its elastic properties © 2021 South Dakota Board of Regents 16 Condition How “fresh” does the fleece look and feel? How soft is it when you touch it? Bright white or “yolky” (yellow) Does it look “frowsy” More like a cotton ball than wool Does it have good “crimp design”? Can you see the crimps well? © 2021 South Dakota Board of Regents 17  1. Grade 2. Clean wool price What is the value of wool ($/lb) based on? 3. Clean wool yield 4. Weight © 2021 South Dakota Board of Regents 18  Here’s the wool you brought to the wool warehouse: Prices are reported Grade: 64’s based on the CLEAN Clean Price: $3.75/lb price, but producers Clean wool yield: 60% are paid for greasy Grease weight: 500 lb (1 bale) wool. 1. Grease Fleece Price = Clean price How do we x yield $3.75 x 60% = $2.25/lb determine grease fleece value? 2. Total wool value = Grease fleece Price x total weight $2.25 x 500 lb = $1,125 © 2021 South Dakota Board of Regents 19  CONTACT INFORMATION Jaelyn Whaley SDSU Extension Sheep Field Specialist Lemmon Regional Extension Center 601 4th Ave Lemmon, SD 57638 [email protected] (605)374-4177 © 2021 South Dakota Board of Regents 20 In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, and reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, and American Sign Language) should contact the responsible State or local Agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. To file a program discrimination complaint, a complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, which can be obtained online, at www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/usda-program-discrimination-complaint-form.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by: mail: fax: email: U.S. Department of Agriculture (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; [email protected]. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW This institution is an equal opportunity provider. Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or SDSU Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer in accordance with the non-discrimination policies of South Dakota State University, the South Dakota Board of Regents and the United States Department of Agriculture. Learn more at extension.sdstate.edu.