Wool History 101
Wool is a textile that is made from sheep, goats,
rabbits, and other animals. There are
many different varieties of wool. It is
a known fact that the thickness, texture, and animal that it comes from makes a
difference in the end-product of textiles and quality of clothes. These higher quality products can also result
in a higher income for wool farmers. I
want to research whether the process of raising these animals, specifically
sheep, makes any difference in the quality of the product. I want to find out whether there are slight
changes that the average farmers can make to improve the quality of their crop.
For the sake of narrowing the research,
we will focus solely on wool from sheep raised in America, however we must
first learn about the general wool market.
To analyze wool production, we must first understand
the process. Sheep are raised in herds
by farmers. They (the sheep) grow wool
through follicles on their skin. This wool is shorn off the sheep and then
washed, treated, and sold to producers. A
sheep can be shorn for the first time around 6-8 months of age and is usually shorn
annually after that (Rock, Barking). Sheep
with longer and thicker wool may be sheared every 6 months. Sheep are fed a diet of protein, energy,
vitamins, minerals, and water. Sheep can
be kept indoors or outdoors. Their
feeding requirements vary according to their climate and living accommodations.
According to sheep shearing 101,
feeding, housing, health care, handling, and harvesting are all critical to the
production of high quality wool. Our
search for quality wools is not a new one (Sheep 101).
Sheep were being raised even before 10,000 BC in
Northern Europe and people began weaving their wool into clothing around 1900
BC (Sheepcentre.co.uk). The skins and
wool were used for clothing and their properties were unmatched and are
unmatched even today. Sheep are raised
throughout the world and the variety of sheep differs on location. There are long wool sheep, medium wool sheep,
and short wool sheep. Their wool length
affects how valuable they are. Longer
wool is more valuable than shorter wool.
Other characteristics that affect wool quality are fiber diameter, uniformity,
color, crimp and yield. You can
determine the quality of your wool by raising sheep with desirable qualities. Fine wool normally has a small diameter and
large crimp. Light colors are most
desirable and of course you would want a high uniformity and yield. Small average fiber diameter is a very
accurate predictor of end-product quality (Sheep 201). Can any of these qualities be altered in the
way sheep are raised or produced? This brings
us back to our initial question that we hope to answer throughout the course of
our research in this blog.
Rock, Barking. “Barking Rock Farm.” When is a lamb first shorn?, 1 Jan. 1970, barkingrock.blogspot.com/2010/04/when-is-lamb-first-shorn.html. Accessed 24 Sept. 2017.
Sheepcentre.co.uk, www.sheepcentre.co.uk/wool.htm.
Accessed 24 Sept. 2017.
Sheep 101: Wool production, www.sheep101.info/wool.html. Accessed 24 Sept. 2017.
“Sheep 201: A
Beginner's Guide to Raising Sheep.” The purpose of Sheep 101 is to teach
students, teachers, 4-H and FFA members, and the general public about sheep,
how they are raised, and the contributions to mankind.,
www.sheep101.info/201/index.html. Accessed 24 Sept. 2017.
