Washington County Wool Pool



Future Wool Producer -
Yearling Rambouillet Ram

We spent last weekend at Wild Rose Farm sorting through the fleeces that we won't show, sell, or have made into yarn.  Not every fleece is a show fleece or a hand spinning fleece, so the rest of them go to the wool pool.  The majority of shepherds aren't selling to fiber artists or making yarn, so most of the wool shorn from flocks each year is taken to a "wool pool" to be sold.  The Washington County Co-Operative Wool Growers held their event on Monday (flocks with >125 fleeces) & Tuesday (small flocks with <125 fleeces).  Our fleeces went on Tuesday.
FYI, there's a world wide increase in the price of wool, so we got almost twice as much for our wool in 2011 -vs- 2010.  Example: Fine Staple was $2.20/lb - vs- $1.40/lb last summer.  Not a fortune, but a better price for the fleeces that we won't use otherwise.  Expect to see prices of wool yarns going up across the board out there, even at the (gasp) big box craft stores!  
As I sort the fleeces, I can't help but pull out choice sections of Rambouillet fleeces that are going to the wool pool.  ;)  They get added to the future yarn stash.

Getting Ready For Winter!

The Wild Rose Farm woodpile is shaping up.  This is the last of the wood picked up after cutting & clearing last winter for more pasture.  We laid down old railroad ties to get the wood off of the ground & then stacked the wood between the trees. There are stacks in the barn and under the picnic shelter ... roughly 9 cords now.  Glenda was very attentive and standing nearby until the chainsaw started.  She decided to leave the area!  This has become the technique for going through the gate .... fire up the chain saw, leave it running, and go through the gate.  Glenda won't go anywhere near the open gate.   

Lamb Totals

We've been traveling a lot lately & hadn't had a chance to recap the mix of lambs born this spring.   The stats for Wild Rose Farm this year are a total of 13 ewe lambs and 23 ram lambs.  All 8 Rambouillet ewe lambs are twins and we'll also have a good selection of twin Rambouillet ram lambs to choose from for sale after weaning.  3 of the crossbred ewe lambs are twins & they will also be available in late July once they are weaned. 

Hauling Hay .....

Rambouillet Ewes & Lambs

Just about everyone around here is baling their 1st cutting hay.  It started early last week after the threats of rain ended and the humidity broke.  Scattered T-storms made some folks nervous last night, but it missed our immediate area, so the locals were baling & cutting again today.  We've been hauling some square bales & storing them in the loft.  Next come the round bales.   Business travel is coming up again this week, so WRF did weeding, pruning, & grass cutting over the weekend.  The barn was cleaned out where we put our lambing pens in preparation for storing round bales.  The 3 ewes above and the six lambs were kicked out of the barn & onto pasture.  The little lamb in the front is a bottle baby & she just found out what an electric fence is tonight ..... they learn very quickly!

A Little Cooler Now

The weather cooled down at Wild Rose Farm as the week progressed.  Not much activity with the sheep until the sun starts to go down in the evening.  The ewes enjoy a fresh break of grass & the lambs get to run around & gather in the mowed areas .....

Twin Rambouillet Ewe Lamb