Did you know?

• Sheep were domesticated about 10,000 years ago.

• Man learned to spin wool somewhere around 3500 B.C.

• Wool was one of the first products to be traded internationally.  

• Wool was a factor in the American Revolution: England decreed that American colonists who raised sheep and produced wool were criminals.  Americans passed a law that young people had to learn to spin and weave wool.

• Today, wool is used in protective gear (military, firefighters), active wear, bedding, insulation, clothing, upholstery, carpets, strawberry production and more.

Here are a few of the most common wooly questions we hear:

How do I get a shearer for my sheep?

 Shearers are in high demand. 

Years ago, it was simple to schedule shearers. The primary Ga Sheep shearers were from Australia (our spring is their off season). Dr. Tom Huber was the contact point between the shearers and the members. This was before cell phones and GPS, so members had to go through Dr. Huber to make appointments.

Fast forward to today and it is a very different shearing environment. The Aussies aged out and were not able to find replacement shearers. We have excellent shearers available in Georgia but.... their schedules are tight, their travel range is extensive, they have an existing client list, and they schedule themselves.

Follow the link below to find shearer names and numbers.

https://gasheepandwool.org/links

A few notes:

Text is preferred to calls.

You may have to text repeatedly. It's nothing personal.

Shearing schedules are actually shearing plans: it only takes one rainstorm, one farm not ready for the shearers, one person adding their neighbor's flock at the last minute, or one flat tire to disrupt an entire day.

The cost of shearing is determined each year by the shearers and is based on a travel / set-up fee, plus x$ per sheep. Each farm pays the shearers directly.

Here are tips to help you prepare for the shearers:

2022 Shearing Tips.pdf

What does ‘skirting’ mean?

To skirt a fleece is to cut away undesirable parts of the fleece: tags, stained wool, sweat locks, etc. In addition to the links above, check out:

Fleece diagrams:

Fleece Segments

Skirting

Cost implications of skirting:

Skirting Your Fleeces

Video demonstrations:

How to Skirt a Wool Fleece

Skirting a Fleece

I have hair sheep and wool sheep. Why does everyone keep telling me to watch out for “hair contamination”?

Quite simply, hair is not wool. It does not dye like wool, it does not spin or blend like wool, and the presence of hair in a BALE of wool (110+ pounds of wool) can result in the entire bale being discarded. If the bale is from a wool pool, multiple farmers can suffer the financial loss caused by one person’s ignorance or carelessness.

Keep in mind that hair is not the only contaminant. This link provides helpful information.  

Wool Contamination .pdf