[ABC Rural]
Black sheep finally finds place in wool industry, thanks to consumer thirst for all-natural fibres
[Olivia Calver]
Most wool growers try very hard to keep black wool out of their flocks.
Key points:
– Black sheep have traditionally been bred out of merino flocks, with fibre contamination an issue for the industry
– Three women are bucking the trend, breeding black merinos and processing the wool in Australia
– Black and coloured wool does not need to be dyed, allowing it to retain its natural credentials
But some farmers have been bucking that trend and are purposely breeding black merino sheep.
Black or coloured wool does not need to be dyed and with demand growing for all-natural products, the one-time outcasts of the flock have become hot property.
Sophie and Tom Holt run nearly 30,000 sheep at Coonong Station in the Riverina.
Ms Holt started a separate black merino flock and has been processing their wool in Australia, running a wool retail business with her two friends Maggie Lahore and Kimmy Falls.
Ms Lahore was a station hand at Coonong and now works remotely in the business from her home in Argentina, while Ms Falls runs a livestock transport company in the Riverina with her husband.
“We’re three working mothers and three good friends, who had an idea to process coloured and white wool domestically,” Ms Holt said.
Early on, they were told it could not be done with much of Australia’s wool processed overseas.
But they have since found processors to work with, their black wool products are running out the door, with blankets selling for more than $500.
Building a reputation on the show circuit
President of the Black and Coloured Sheep Breeders Association NSW Melissa Henry enters her black sheep in shows around the state.
She was used to her sheep being a novelty, with most farmers more likely to try to hide their black sheep — not show them off.
“Sometimes we get a few strange looks, generally I would say people are very welcoming of us and they’re always very interested, they come over and look at our sheep,” Ms Henry said.
Black wool interest from India
Moses and Sons wool broker Marty Moses said white wool had always been more popular because it could be dyed any colour.
But he said there was an overseas interest in black merino wool.
“There’s still a demand from places like India, where religious beliefs preclude people from dying the natural fibre,” Mr Moses said.
Meanwhile, there is a growing market for natural, coloured wool at home.
Black, white sheep usually run separately
Mr Moses said it was crucial for black and white flocks to be run separately due to the potential of black fibres getting into the white wool.
“It’s hugely important that we don’t contaminate our white wool flock.Not that there’s anything wrong with black wool, but it’s a different market and we need to keep them separate,” he said.
At Coonong, they run their black sheep separate from the rest of the flock, shearing them after all the white sheep have been through and making sure they do not share any fence lines.
But because the coloured wool gene is genetic, it is possible for a white sheep to be born in a black flock — suddenly finding that they are the odd one out..
