The sheep are all sheared. We took a step up in the world and had three people shearing this year.
It takes quite a crew to keep up with 3 shearers. I am very blessed with friends and family that helped make the day go so smoothly. We track each fleece with a number that comes from ear tags that are on each sheep. Another spinner and I were in charge of the 2 skirting tables. The fleece’s are very clean this year. We have had a cold winter with snow for the last 2 months which really helps keep the dirt and hay to a minimum. Plus we never feed in the same field as the sheep and keep the hay piles down as low as possible which help keep hay off of their backs. The sheep are so happy now. We were very lucking to have a warm up right after shearing which makes the sheep do a lot of laying around soaking up the sunshine. Once the shearers are gone, straw is put out, fleeces are put away, and I start the daunting process of inventorying each fleece. I personally go through each fleece, measure staple length, remove any VM that was missed through the first skirting, check multiple areas for breaks and soundness, take pictures, weigh each fleece, and lastly take a sample of each fleece. Each sample I mail off to the Montana Wool Lab in Bozeman, to have tested, and have a micron profile done.
I am hoping to start the sale as soon as the results get back to me from the wool lab. Once I have the results in hand I will post all the pictures with details on my Facebook page for a preview. During the preview is the time I can help you find the perfect fleece for your needs plus answer your questions promptly. The actual sale will start the following day (exact time will be announced at preview). Once sale is opened all fleeces will be available to purchase directly through my website and to keep it fair I ask everyone to purchase this way. If you run into problems or have questions please let me know and be understanding I will answer all questions as I can. If you would like to be added to our mailing list please subscribe directly through my website www.ranchingtraditionfiber.com. If you have purchased from us in the past and would like to be on added to my “dibs” list. Email me with fleece # or type of fleece you are interested in, your name and email address. The Dibs list will just point you directly to where to purchase the fleece as soon as it is listed.
I will be posting videos this week that explains how I rate me vegetable matter (VM).
Please again let me know if you have any questions…