Get rid of colour in wool

In this article, an expert stated that careful observation and strict selection were needed to combat pigmentation in sheep flocks and improve the quality of the clip.

Foreign objects such as twine, wire and pieces of sacking are usually seen as the main culprits in wool contamination. However, colour and the presence of black fibres are also significant.

At the outset, wool growers must appreciate the importance of clean, uncontaminated wool in their bales, says Smiley de Beer of the [then] Wool Board in Caledon, Western Cape.

Cleanliness is the primary requirement in the manufacture of tops. The wool industry dictates that in the manufacture of white and pastel-shade materials, there may not be more than 100 dark fibres in 1kg of wool.

SELECTION

Fortunately, farmers traditionally select against sheep that display too much colour on their wool-bearing parts.

As far back as 1870, wool specialist John Rylie Graham proposed that "all Merino sheep, without exception, should be free of pigmented spots on the legs and face, and in the case of the rams, no black strip on the horns or pigmented spots on the roof of the mouth should be tolerated".