on 23/6/02 5:51 am, D2Williams at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > I have some Shetland fleeces, from Unst. Nice fleeces, but the sheep are > probably as close to feral as they can get, and still be considered > 'domesticated.' They're brought in at lambing, then set free, to roam 500 > acres. The owner didn't know what I meant, when I asked about alfalfa <g>. > The fleeces have what I'm told (by American breeders) is 'scurf', large > flakes of something. The owner tole me that was the lanolin that's set up, > while the fleeces were in storage. > > I was told to set the fleece on the hearth, while a fire was going. The > lanolin would melt into the fleece.
Met several crofters running flocks like that ..day job keeps them busy so the go in for easy shepherding .. mind you our ram that went back to Shetland one November was put on an island and left with the girls till time to collect lambs next year... This lanolin deposit is also seen on fleeces at shearing .. it occurs when shearing in the rise in June ..the natural break in the fiber stops the lanolin from working down the fiber to the tip...black and brown fleece get it more .. do not know why. We find that Scottish spinners expect this and just warm the fiber and carry on .. but so far do not export any like this as gets mega reaction from most overseas spinners ... Robin -- Robin and Margaret McEwen-King at Middletown Farm, Scotland. The home of Galtress Shetlands & Tamworth/Berkshire Pigs Check out our websites http://www.mcewen-king.co.uk http://www.scottishwool.co.uk To stop mail temporarily mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: set nomail To restore send: set mail
