Lambswool a Valuable crop
Lambswool is frequently the most valuable wool produced on a farrn and deserves particular care, according to the Wool Board. It is four to five microns finer than mature wool and this gives it a softness that makes it suitable for high fashion and shetland knitwear. Pale shades are popular, so good colour is important. "Lambswool should be shorn fairly early and most farmers have been doing so this season," says the Board's National Wool Production Manager, Mr L. K. (Lance) Wiggins. "As the summer advances, the wool gets coarser and more discoloured. It also gathers more burr and biddy-bid, which is a serious fault with lambswool since it is generally not combed in processing. It should also not be longer than about 80mm." Before shearing, down cross and mixed breeds should be separated. All lambs should be dagged and fasted for up to 24 hours to prevent pen staining, says Mr Wiggins. In the shed, there should if possible be a wool handler for each shearer, and plenty of fadges for the oddments. The table should be removed and the site used for stacking a uniform main line. It is seldom justified to make two lines of lambswool.
On the board, the wool handlers should watch for any short, hairy or "odd" fleeces. Crutch and belly wool should be carefully swept aside. Bellies and pieces go together but stained brisket wools should be kept separate-. Topnots (or eye clips) should also go into another fadge. Because colour is very important in lambswool, all traces of belly stain should be remo\ed. As the stack is built up, a close eye should be kept for stray topnots, britchy wool and vegetable matter. Wool Board Raw Wool Controller, Michael Corrigan sees thousands of sale lots in a season. He says the common fault is lines of bellies and pieces downgraded by the inclusion of discoloured brisket wool. "Keep the brisket separate; that's my main advice," he says. Wool Production Officers. throughout the country report a tendency to put too much lamb fleece into the oddments — up to 25 percent in some cases. Because the fleeces are small, it is easy to sweep away too much on the board or to use a generous hand in picking over the stack. "It's an old joke about taping your hands so you can only use thumb and forefinger" says Mr Wiggins. "It is nearest the truth when you are handling valuable lambswool."
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Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 4, Issue 35, 17 February 1987, Page 5
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411Lambswool a Valuable crop Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 4, Issue 35, 17 February 1987, Page 5
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