[Jacob-list] fleece questions

[Lorraine Nielsen]

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. She sloughed all the wool from her belly, partway up her
sides. She seemed to have lost weight this year, also. I thought parasites
might be involved, so wormed her extra. She gained her weight back, but
her fleece was so strange. I thought also about nutrition being involved,
but I watch my flock closely, and she didn't eat any differently, that I
observed, from anyone else. Any ideas?

Lorraine



Lorraine Nielsen
Shear Bliss, Four Winds Farm
www.fourwindswool.com
fourwinds at gotsky.com