What makes quality Merino wool?
The quality of Merino wool begins with the quality of the grass and feed that is supplied to the Merino sheep. The type of grass and its availability determine the consistency of feed that can be provided to ensure the wool grows in a consistent way over a period of 12 months.By avoiding variations in the sheep's diet composition and feed intake, the merino wool grows with a consistent characteristics, such as strength and thickness.What makes Merino wool so special? Anyone who has run their fingers along Merino fleece, and compared that to non-Merino fleece, can tell you the drastic difference in softness. What creates that difference? There is one parameters which makes up the wool's "prickly" character: thickness. Wool thickness is a measure for prickliness, and is measured in microns. A micron is one millionth of a meter. Any fibres more than 30 microns thick would feel "prickly" to the skin.
The WoolConnect growers selectively breed sheep that produce fleece of thickness between 15 and 22 microns, and that makes the woolen textile feel smooth and pleasant to the skin. To be able to grow consistently uniform fibres, the feed of Merino should be carefully designed and effectively managed. Just like with humans, what sheep eat and drink is reflected in the structure and composition of the "hairs" they produce. To avoid having widely differing thickness of the fleece, Merino sheep must be fed a consistent and uniform diet, factoring in the different feed requirements at their life cycle. This is what WoolConnnect growers have been consistently achieving.
The WoolConnect growers selectively breed sheep that produce fleece of thickness between 15 and 22 microns, and that makes the woolen textile feel smooth and pleasant to the skin. To be able to grow consistently uniform fibres, the feed of Merino should be carefully designed and effectively managed. Just like with humans, what sheep eat and drink is reflected in the structure and composition of the "hairs" they produce. To avoid having widely differing thickness of the fleece, Merino sheep must be fed a consistent and uniform diet, factoring in the different feed requirements at their life cycle. This is what WoolConnnect growers have been consistently achieving.
