The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: tommytink on May 14, 2019, 04:47:28 pm

Title: Sheep wool
Post by: tommytink on May 14, 2019, 04:47:28 pm
Can anyone enlighten me about the British Wool Marketing Board?

I am reading that if you have more than four sheep you have to send your fleeces to them to be sold on? And that if you want to keep x amount you have to notify them what you are doing with them? Is that right, or am I misreading/understanding?
Title: Re: Sheep wool
Post by: Fleecewife on May 14, 2019, 05:38:58 pm
It doesn't seem to apply to fleece they don't want, such as Soay or Hebridean.  I no longer know the current rules, having kept all my fleeces for craftwork for years, legally.
Title: Re: Sheep wool
Post by: Tim W on May 16, 2019, 07:08:27 am
You can sell your wool to a variety of buyers including Wool Board & Laurence Pierce (the 2 i can remember)
Buyers other than the wool board get around the rules by operating from Ireland (therefore the wool is exported & not sold in UK)

I don't think anyone will hassle you for keeping your own wool and doing what you want with it

Add Natural Fibre Company to the above list
Title: Re: Sheep wool
Post by: macgro7 on May 16, 2019, 08:01:57 am
How would I buy a lorry load of wool then? Would I have to go through the wool board?
Title: Re: Sheep wool
Post by: tommytink on May 16, 2019, 08:49:51 am
The only objection I have is that they seem to want you to take it to one of their drop off points which is over an hour away. I only have 16 sheep, am guessing I won’t make anything on the fleece, but have to bear the cost of delivering it? Some might say what’s the big deal but it’ll cost me time and fuel, and doing this smallholder thing now I can ill afford both!!
Title: Re: Sheep wool
Post by: macgro7 on May 16, 2019, 12:11:15 pm
The only objection I have is that they seem to want you to take it to one of their drop off points which is over an hour away. I only have 16 sheep, am guessing I won’t make anything on the fleece, but have to bear the cost of delivering it? Some might say what’s the big deal but it’ll cost me time and fuel, and doing this smallholder thing now I can ill afford both!!
Forget about that then! That kind of quantity you can sell on eBay.
If you had a mountain estate in Wales and 2000 sheep then you would bother delivering and having contracts with the wool board.


But seriously how can I actually buy a large quantity of wool? A container or more?
Title: Re: Sheep wool
Post by: SallyintNorth on May 16, 2019, 03:48:12 pm

But seriously how can I actually buy a large quantity of wool? A container or more?

The BWMB auction all the wool from all the farms in the UK. It’s graded, sorted and baled into plastic wrapped bales of around 1/3 tonne each.  Each has its grade and weight on its label. 

I’ve never tried to buy a bale at auction, but the auctions are online and I imagine collection is from the BWMB depot.  Their website reads that you will need to register as a buyer. Linky (https://www.britishwool.org.uk/wool-sales)

If you do go ahead with this, please share how it goes.  I’m fascinated by the whole process, and have had the guided tour of Galashiels depot a couple of times. 
Title: Re: Sheep wool
Post by: SallyintNorth on May 16, 2019, 03:50:34 pm
I think the rules still are that you are obliged to notify them if you have more than 5 sheep and are planning on selling your wool outside the BWMB system. But as FW says, they’re not going to worry about a few smallholder sheep, especially if they’re coloured wool.  Handling small quantities would add to their costs, and so reduce the amount that goes back to the farmers.

Title: Re: Sheep wool
Post by: Buttermilk on May 16, 2019, 04:25:23 pm
You can visit Bradford and buy fleeces, singly or in bulk.  Our Spinning guild arranged a trip a couple of years ago and they had all breeds and colours available.  They put some rare breeds to one side just for such people.
Title: Re: Sheep wool
Post by: SallyintNorth on May 17, 2019, 01:07:20 am
How would I buy a lorry load of wool then? Would I have to go through the wool board?

Please do. The British Wool Marketing Board is a farmers’ co-operative, run by farmers for all farmers. All the money from sales of wool goes back to the farmers, pro data the wool they sent in. The BWMB deducts its running costs only, there are no shareholders and no profits.