Merino wool has a high value and requires maximum clip preparation. Usually a wool handler has experience working with crossbred sheep before moving onto wool handling for Merino. Merino sheep are shorn annually to ensure longer, finer wool. Merino wool is classed by its fineness by a wool classer.

In our WOMOlife wool handling for Merino course you’ll learn about:

• Board duties
• The 8 main wool characteristics considered in wool classing merino
• Clip preparation – identify and process oddments and wool faults and separate into bins
• Picking up and throwing the fleece onto the table for skirting. Set up the fleece.to allow for easy identification of any wool faults that need removing
• Skirting and folding/rolling the fleece on the table. How to skirt using your fingers and what to remove. Shake and fold the fleece in partnership with another wool handler
• Managing wool flow, understanding why it’s important