Focus on wool quality and shearing

Jayne Harkness-Bones, Depot Manager with Ulster Wool, joins this week’s OviCast to discuss the factors that influence the quality of wool, the challenges in the marketplace in recent years and what happens to the wool from purchase until it reaches market.

Joining OviCast host Ciaran Lynch, they talk about shearing, wool handling and storage, with Jayne highlighting some simple practices to make the process easier and improve the quality of the wool harvested.

In the latter half of the podcast, Jayne who is also a council member of the Irish Grown Wool Council, discusses some of the work they have been involved in to realise the potential of wool, develop further opportunities and provide support to the industry. 

Listen in below:

More information

Preparing for shearing

Shearing is one of the busiest days on a sheep farm during the year, but it is important to shear the sheep well to obtain the highest quality wool. In this short clip, David Heraty, Irish Grown Wool Council, provides an overview of the steps that will make the job easier on the sheep, the farmer and the shearer, and will in turn improve the presentation of the wool.

Tips on how to harvest wool at shearing time

In this short clip, Jayne Harkness-Bones, Irish Grown Wool Council, provides some tips on how best to think about how you harvest your wool at the time of shearing.

More information on the items discussed is available on the Irish Grown Wool Council website.

For more episodes from the OviCast podcast, visit the show page.