Shearing Time in the Gulf Islands

With the warm days of spring comes shearing time for many flocks in the Gulf Islands. Most people arrange for a professional shearer who can quickly remove the fleece in one piece in just minutes. Many islands arrange for the shearer to come over for one or more days to do all of the sheep. Smaller flocks may hold their sheep overnight in a barn so that they are dry and ready to go. Larger flocks will hope for good weather, and will gather the flock into a corral, hopefully with a covered area and handling facility. The weather was good for shearing this year, and the wool looked clean and strong. We remove the dirty tags in a process called "skirting" the fleece, then roll it up and place it in a big burlap sack that is held in place in a tall wooden frame specially built for packing wool. To pack the fleeces tight someone gets on top and stomps the wool down into the bag. Once it is full, we use a large needle to sew the bag tight, label it, and ship it.

Large carding machine, Custom Woolen Mills

The packed wool may go to the Canadian Cooperative Wool Growers (CCWG) where it is sorted, graded, processed and marketed. Sometimes we ship to Custom Woolen Mills in Alberta and have socks, comforters, pillows, blankets and yarn made. This year we made a trip there will a truck full of wool sacks, and were able to bring back a load of pillows and comforters. Some people who have special wool-type sheep may opt to prepare and store each fleece separately and process according to that market so that they can obtain a higher price.

Demand for wool worldwide has been increasing – architects demanding wool carpets, consumers interested in natural fabrics - as the world supply declines, resulting in rising prices for wool. Wool from Canada is primarily exported and China has become a major customer. Last fall, the general manager of CCWG took a wool marketing trip to China and attended an international trade show for wool. He was able negotiate thirteen wool contracts with different woolen mills, representing the sale of 650,000 pounds, or 13 container loads, of wool. He traveled by train and car to the various wool mills and said that Canadian wool was well received. It is a relief to see the prices increasing, given that many sheep producers let their wool become mulch and shearing costs often exceed what the producer can get for their wool. Still, there are many sheep producers who pack their wool for CCWG and make the annual wool drop-off a bit of a social event, hoping that prices will improve.

My brother in law, Graham Rannie, shearing one of our rams when he was last visiting - Alex and Isaac look on

This year the 93rd AGM for the Canadian Cooperative Wool Growers was held in Abbotsford, BC. The CCWG is a sheep producer cooperative with producer shareholders. CCWG is organized to market Canada's wool in the most efficient and profitable way and encourage quality wool production in Canada. The CCWG catalogue is mailed to 20,000 sheep producers in Canada, offering a full range of livestock products, a directory of sheep breeders and shearers, and information. Ken Mallinson is the Director for BC. Among the producers across Canada recognized for their efforts in producing wool, two sets of producers from BC received awards at the AGM. Wayne and Mary Schaad from Black Creek and John and Lorraine Buchanan from Metchosin, all BC Sheep Federation members from Vancouver Island, were the Certificate of Merit winners from BC. These wool growers exemplify the co-operative spirit and were recognized for the extra pride they take in their wool. The recipients of these awards were selected by a panel of judges representing the shearing, warehousing, grading, selling and buying of wool.

My son, Alex, shearing a California Red

Pieter DeMooy shearing one from our commercial flock

Pieter DeMooy from Central Saanich was the shearer for both flocks. Pieter shears many of the flocks in the Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island. He started shearing in 4-H, then went on to shear with the best shearers in New Zealand, Australia and the UK before settling back in Canada and working in the floral industry. He was brought out of shearing-retirement when his good friend and fellow shearer, David Nichols, passed away suddenly. David had been the main shearer for the Gulf Islands for many years, and he had family and friends in the islands. Pieter helped fill the void, both as a shearer and as a friend to many sheep producers who appreciate his skills.

Sheep shearing and wool

The flock was sheared last Thursday, and all of the wool sorted and bagged over the weekend. Thankfully there was no rain. The shearer has a day job as a florist, but in a past life trained as a shearer in New Zealand and Australia. We gather up the sheep, hope for good weather and spend the day catching sheep and rolling up the wool. The sheep go from a rag tag bunch to being slick and cool, just in time for the hot weather. This year some wool will be sold locally to spinners - especially specialty wools like black Romney, California Red, Navajo-Churro, and Jacob. Colours range from white to cream, to oatmeal to black. Textures vary too. Navajo sheep have a coarse outer hair and a dense underlayer, suited for rugs ie navajo rugs. The Romney is long and lustrous, and California Red has red hairs throughout an oatmeal coloured fine wool. The bulk of the wool - about 1000 lb - will go to Carstairs Alberta to be processed into sleeping bags, pillows, comforters and mattress pads, socks, yarn and other products. But lately I have been thinking about the oil spill in Louisiana, where I lived for a while pre-Katrina. A few years ago I saw wool being made into oil boom pads, and I wonder how many of these wool products are being used in the Gulf of Mexico today.
BJG