2022 Intro/Update:

What a Splendid Fleece!!!

 Padula sent me some background on the 12 March 2022 shearing:

I lucked out.  Today and the past few days were cold,  so the ground was frozen hard and snow not melting.  So the wool wool was dry.  Next week it is supposed to get warm 40s and 50s [5-10C], so snow will melt and it will get sloppy and messy, good to have them sheared before that happens - hard to keep them clean and dry [if the snow and ice melts].  Still about 5 to 6 weeks before lambing, so this will give me time to make sure the pregnant ewes are fed appropriately for lambing.  Too thin, lambs are weak and ewes do not milk well.  Over- conditioned (fat) they can have metabolic issues (pregnancy toxemia), large lambs that result from in difficult births (dystocia) and poor milking.  Nice to have them “out of the wool” to monitor their condition and have the sheared in “prime time” weather-wise.

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WeatherWool Advisor Bob Padula was shearing in Mid-March 2020, and sent us some photos. Bob's daughters are wearing WeatherWool Anoraks and Neck Gaiters (THANK YOU LADIES!).

We hope that this fiber will be turned into garments before the end of 2020!

Below is a fleece sample from one of the 2019 early-born lambs (20 February 2019) retained as flock replacement females. The wool is longer than most others because it is older (about 12.5 months old on 8 March 2020, when the sample was taken (8 March 2020) than lambs born in April/May which will only have 10-11 months of wool growth.  Also, the early lambs were fed/managed differently because lambs there is no pasture for lambs born “out of season”. In addition, they were also “exhibition sheep” and were fed more, resulting in more wool growth. 

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14 March 2020