What price for a whole fleece, sheared from a common sheep of average size?

Question

What price for a whole fleece, sheared from a common sheep of average size?

Answer 1

you would get it cheap, but the real cost is in the tanning process, thats the cleaning drying and preserving. but it's possible to do it yourself with some knowhow and a strong stomach. lol

you can stretch the skin over a wooden frame made out of a large branch, then left in the sun to dry, you could put salt on it (a lot of salt) and scrape off the fat with somethink. once it's dried it's good for a long time.

i did it with a rabbit skin and it worked, still got the skin 5 years later and it's perfect. the only think you would find is that the skin is stiff rather then a soft bendy one.

Answer 2

Once again, it varies.

If you are looking for a really good fleece, for handspinning perhaps, you may want one from New Zealand.  That's going to cost more, because it's the best available, and for transportation costs.

Which is not to diss North American fleeces.  Some people raise sheep specially for their particular kind of fleece. These are not going to be cheap, but each is well worth it in its own way.

If what you're really after is an ordinary fleece shorn from a sheep being raised for mutton (or for silvicultural use, but that's another story ...), the price should be very low.  Indeed, there are people in my area who have found that the cost of processing (including transportation) is greater than the value of the wool derived.  They are looking for alternate uses of the fleeces, which have to shorn, whether they be used or not. Those, one might well have for the asking.  When I last bought an ordinary one, it was about $20.00. As a first step, I would suggest you get in touch with your local sheep breeders organization, or a local arts/crafts store.

But be advised, a fleece as it comes from the sheep is a dirty, stinky thing.

It would be so much easier to be specific if I knew what your desired end product was.  

Short answer: $0.00 - $200.00  per fleece. If you want smaller quantities, $1.00/oz. will get you clean, good quality fleece.