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Author Topic: Sheep wool  (Read 2506 times)

tommytink

  • Joined Aug 2018
Sheep wool
« 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?

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Sheep wool
« Reply #1 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.
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Tim W

  • Joined Aug 2013
Re: Sheep wool
« Reply #2 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

macgro7

  • Joined Feb 2016
  • Leicester
Re: Sheep wool
« Reply #3 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?
Growing loads of fruits and vegetables! Raising dairy goats, chickens, ducks, rabbits on 1/2 acre in the middle of the city of Leicester, using permaculture methods.

tommytink

  • Joined Aug 2018
Re: Sheep wool
« Reply #4 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!!

macgro7

  • Joined Feb 2016
  • Leicester
Re: Sheep wool
« Reply #5 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?
Growing loads of fruits and vegetables! Raising dairy goats, chickens, ducks, rabbits on 1/2 acre in the middle of the city of Leicester, using permaculture methods.

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Sheep wool
« Reply #6 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

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. 
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Sheep wool
« Reply #7 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.

Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

Buttermilk

  • Joined Jul 2014
Re: Sheep wool
« Reply #8 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.

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Sheep wool
« Reply #9 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.
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

 

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