QUALITY WOOL ... IN THE BLACK

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And since wool can't be the operation's sole source of income, there has to be a good return on the lamb crop to make a go of the sheep business ... and this is where Gary's long, hard work to develop a quality breeding program has paid off. He can sell his top-notch breeding stock (about half of each year's crop of lambs) to other ranchers for anywhere between $200 and $500 apiece. Gary and Marilyn travel to the East Coast each summer to sell the young animals, and there's always a steady stream of buyers and visitors stopping at their farm, as well.

Those lambs that don't muster up to breeder quality are sold at the market after the animals reach 80-100 pounds (usually at four to six months of age). The selling price of market lambs has been 50¢-75¢ per pound for the past few years.

On an annual basis, the farm typically grosses about $20,000 from the lamb crop and $3,000 from the wool ... a fact that serves to further underscore the truth that a shepherd cannot live on fleece sales alone.

But though raising black sheep may not be a way to get rich quick, it's clear that producing high-quality dark fleece for sale to handspinners does add greatly to the profit potential of a flock. And with the return of interest in handwork in recent years, spinning-supply shops and weaving guilds or clubs are springing up everywhere ... producing a ready market for top-grade wool of any color!

EDITOR'S NOTE. For more information on raising sheep, see Randy Kidd's articles "Sheep Breeds" (MOTHER NO. 75, page 82) and "Ten Commandments for Raising Healthy Sheep" (MOTHER NO. 60, page 162). Turn to page 148 to order back issues.

--JUDGING WOOL QUALITY--

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