Does stress produce finer fleeces?

[Ann @ frabjous fabrica]

I was reading the latest "Felt Matters", the journal of the International Feltmakers Association, and was a bit worried to see in the article by Leiko Uchiyama that she only uses 16 and 18 micron merino fibres for her felt because she doesn't feel comfortable with anything finer than 16 microns as she hasn't seen any flocks of sheep producing this type of wool.  She goes on to say that "one of the conditions for sheep to produce finer wool is stress, in the same way as it is for humans, just think how pregnancy can affect a woman's hair!"
Does anyone know if sheep producing 21 and 23 micron fibres are purposely subject to stress?  I hope not, but if so it might account for some animal activists objecting to wool production.

[MTRuth]

I haven't heard that.

[Shepherdess]

That would be wrong. Stressed sheep produce poor quality wool. It's breeding that produced finer wool. You breed the finest to the finest and keep doing it until you get what you want. Just like any other quality you want, colour or milk or the number of lambs. Stress usually does damage, like a wool break or poor quality wool and possibly other more permanent damage just like it does with people. She clearly doesn't understand genetics. We have been changing sheep for a long time through breeding. That's why sheep are single-coated and no longer shed the wool every year and there are so many different breeds.

[Ann @ frabjous fabrica]

I contacted Leiko to learn more about this, and it looks as if I misunderstood her meaning in her article.  So I wanted to put the record straight and, with Leiko's consent I am setting out the emails we exchanged:-

2021 6 5 8:02 Ann Baseden <[e-mail]>:

Good morning, I tried to send the following message via the contact form on your website. I’m not sure if it went, although you may have got it twice, if so, my apologies:-



I have read your article in Felt Matters issue 143 and was a bit worried about your statement that "one of the conditions for sheep to produce finer wool is stress...", giving the impression that sheep might be deliberately stressed by farmers in order to produce 21 or 23 micron fibres.

I had always understood that stress caused poorer quality wool, even breaks in the staple, and raised the point with a group to which I belong, many of whom keep sheep. I was assured that it a question of genetics. "You breed the finest to the finest and keep doing it until you get what you want. Just like any other quality you want, colour or milk or the number of lambs. " Further that "We have been changing sheep for a long time through breeding. That's why sheep are single-coated and no longer shed the wool every year and there are so many different breeds.

" Can you tell me why you think otherwise?

Ann

___________________

From: Leiko Uchiyama

Sent: Saturday, June 5, 2021 10:06 AM

To: Ann Baseden

Subject: Re: Production of fine fibres



Hi Ann,

Thank you for your email.

It was probably confusing how I wrote.

I wanted to say that wool is from sheep, live animals. The finer fibre is sold at a higher price and there is a movement of "finer is the better". When we buy 21 micron or 16 micron, I understand it's the average quality of the batch. I've come across quite a few people who understand the smaller numbers are the better quality and use them for everything they make and sometimes they think sheep is like a machine which can produce even size and colour fibres like synthetic. I've seen 14 micron merino tops at shops and even 12. I heard some of them were stretched to make them thinner which could be rumoures.

I understand how our breeding techniques have been creating domestic animals today. I have seen 19 micron merino flock more than 30 years ago and 16 micron merino flock 3-4 years ago. Probably they have some 14 or 12 micron fibre sometimes around their neck? Short term stress ( pregnancy, illness, weather and nutritious conditions, etc. ) causes the break of wool but long term stress helps produce sheep to have finer wool which I was told by farmers in NZ and I have read the article ( I can't remember the details but it was the case in Australia). I'm not an extreme animal protectionist but I feel uncomfortable with the advertisement of "Merino is the king of wool" and a part of the world wool production tends to make finer and finer wool. It's simply because there's a market and because we consume them at a higher price.

I'm not very comfortable using 14 or 12 micron merino because I haven't seen a flock of sheep with this quality yet. Using wool tops sometimes makes me confused as I can't see much where they're coming from. I don't shear sheep anymore but I use raw fleeces as well and then I can understand that wool tops are one of the same materials.

It sounds even more confusing now... This is my own question to myself about creating fine and light felt using these specific materials. Younger generation of Mongolian felt makers told me that Mongolian wool is not good because they can't make scarves, merino is the best. It made me sad but I could only say how much I adore their sheep and wool.

I didn't mean to make everyone confused but questioning the ideas about sticking with finer wool... I know my article doesn't look so after editing while promoting my own work so much...



Where are you based and what breed do you and your friends have?



Leiko

_____________________________





On 5 Jun 2021, at 10:33, Ann Baseden <[e-mail]> wrote:



Hi Leiko,

Now I understand (I think!). I also seem to have got confused between “micron” and “count”!

I love the work that you do and spent quite some time browsing your website.

I’m based in the island next door to you, in Dorset, so we have lots of different breeds here. I’m afraid though that I no longer process raw fleece myself, and in fact I do less and less wet felting because the sheer labour is getting a bit much for me. I’ll be 75 in August and have allowed myself the lighter work of “painting” pictures with felt, mainly needle felt and embroidered details. I don’t do much dyeing myself either now. I use commercially dyed fibres usually, and blend various colours using mini carders to make the palettes I need. If the colour is right then I’ll use it regardless of the type of fleece, and the fact that some are more hairy than others doesn’t really matter.

I don’t want animals to suffer however which was why I raised the point.

Do you mind if I pass your reply on to my group, so that they also can understand? They are actually an international on line bunch, the Felt and Fibre Studio, and were a great help to me during the past 18 months or so, when I completely lost my “mojo”.

Ann

___________________________________



From: Leiko Uchi

Sent: Saturday, June 5, 2021 12:13 PM

To: Ann Baseden

Subject: Re: Production of fine fibres



Hi Ann,

Thank you for the sweet reply. It’s hard to explain what’s in my crazy mind...

You are my neighbour!

Painting with felt is fascinating but I haven’t got any grips yet... all of my felt paintings became mats to keep my bum warm...

I understand the hustle of using raw fleece but we basically need to be happy with whatever we do. I keep diving into them as long as I feel so.

Please do share my email with your group. My knowledge is limited and I’ve been away from farming and shearing world too long, I’m very happy with more information and opinions.

Last one year was very special in many ways and hopefully we can look it back with more laughter.

Thank you Ann,

Warm thoughts,

Leiko
_______________________

That's the second time I've got my knickers in a twist over something I've read.  Perhaps I should stick to thrillers!
Ann

[Antje]

I'm glad this came up as I too read the article in the latest IFA magazine & commented to a friend about this very point.

I'm not sure that Leiko's answer has provided total clarification, but thank you for painstaking including the correspondence. It at least shows us her thinking around that one-liner in the article.

I am more comfortable with, & fully understand, Ann's genetics theory of selective breeding for finer fibres - something that has been going on for millennia & not just with sheep. I might not always agree with how a creature looks after all the genetic manipulation (I’m thinking here of some European cattle I’ve seen or show dog breeds) but providing there is no harm involved I am ok with it.

[Shepherdess]

Thanks for trying to clarify, he clarification was a bit muddy too. Is English not her native language?  I sounded like English may be her second (or more) language. Still sounds fishy to me. Another strange tale that gets told. I just don't make sense. I think she is misunderstanding what she is being told and reading.
There are lots of strange ones out there; sheep can only raise one lamb, you must kill the smaller one, sheep can only raise 2 lambs because there are only two teets, smaller ones must be killed, don't let the lambs drink the first milk it's bad for them (I have heard this one several times), purebred sheep bred to another breed of sheep will never have purebred lambs again even if bred to the same breed ram (I have heard this with dogs too). Sheep with black tongues are healthier. Dogs with black on their tongue are good hunters.

[Ann @ frabjous fabrica]

Could be she's not understanding the language.  She's Japanese - living in Ireland(!)