Taking fleece samples at shearing time for testing purposes

Sometimes sharing time can be a bit hectic, especially if you are short on helpers. I am always concerned that I’ll forget to get a fleece sample for testing. We always like to do this so that when we use our fleeces we can accurately blend like fleeces together for better results.

We have discovered that tying a coloured hair tie around the patch of fleece to be tested before shearing, means that you can retrieve it at a later stage when the pressure is off, but still be confident that the sample has been taken from the correct position on the alpaca.  The more brightly coloured the tie is, the better, making it easier to find in the fleece later.   The $2 Dollar shop sells them in packs of 50 for . . . . $2 (of course). Attaching the hair tie can be done while the animal is still standing, before they are placed in the shearing position, or once the are in position.

We use SGS Fleece Testing Services in Timaru - www.wooltesting.sgs.com

Another good practice is to split your sample into 2 - keep one and send the other for testing. If it gets lost then you still have one to resubmit.

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The information presented here is from our own experiences, adapted from others to suit our situation, property and our animals. We don’t claim to be experts and you are welcome to disagree, if you find something useful – great. Everyone is welcome to comment and provide feedback – see Contact Us.