Shearing for this year was completed last week which is a great relief. Wooly, damp sheep attract flies (green bottles) which lay eggs in the fleece which subsequently turn into maggots and in a matter of hours can kill a sheep (literally). This is known as "flystrike" and although we can prevent it to a degree with treatments, it is always a happy day when the sheep are sheared and the risk reduces.
It's one of the main reasons now that we shear. Gone are the days that sheep were bred solely for their fleeces. Now the value of the fleece doesn't even cover the cost of the shearing.
We achieved the dizzy heights of 35p per kilo for our fleeces last year and this year it is predicted to be even less. This works out to be around 70p per sheep.
More and more we are seeing "free fleece" advertised or farmers throwing it on the muckheap. However this only devalues the product further. How can it be that a sustainable, natural, eco friendly product has become a burden? A waste product?
This year we are attempting to add value by selling fleeces at the farm gate for gardeners. Raw fleece can act as an excellent weed suppressant, pest barrier and source of fertiliser for plants! We'll also be processing some into hardwearing twine for gardeners if time allows.
So if you do see fleeces for free, please support our sheep farmers and do offer some form of payment đ
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