[Jacob-list] fleece questions

[Lasell J. Bartlett]

On May 19, 2010, at 2:48 PM, Lorraine Nielsen wrote:


> Some of my fleeces this year are greasier than previous years. Can  

> this be

> caused by weather? Our winter has been very LONG and is still not  

> over.

> Can nutrition play a role in the lanolin content? How about the  

> length of

> time the fleece stays on? We had to wait, because of weather, to shear

> until 13 and a half months from last year's shearing.

>

> Also, I had one ewe whose fleece did not grow even half the length  

> from

> previous years.


I'm told that the ewes put out a lot of lanolin while lactating, so  
shearing before lambing or very soon after lambing would reduce the  
lanolin in the fleece.

Better nutrition has improved our fleeces. And by better nutrition,  
what we've changed is feeding 2nd cut rather than 1st cut hay during  
the winter months when they don't have pasture, and feeding the ewes  
some grain at the end of their pregnancy and while lactating.

Lasell J Bartlett
Fine Fettle Farm
lasell at lasell.org