Wool is evaluated as what, and what does it mean?

Wool is evaluated as grease fleece, which refers to the condition of the wool immediately after it is shorn from the sheep, before any washing or processing has taken place. This terminology is important because it indicates the presence of natural oils and impurities, such as dirt, grease, and lanolin, which are all part of the wool in its raw state. Understanding this evaluation is crucial for those in sheep management and wool handling, as it directly impacts the subsequent cleaning processes and the final quality of the wool product.

In contrast to this, greasy wool refers to wool that still contains a significant amount of natural oils but may have gone through some degree of washing. Clean fleece denotes wool that has been processed to remove these impurities, making it more suitable for further processing and sale. Raw wool typically refers to wool in its unprocessed form but can imply that it is still attached to the animal, which is a different stage in the wool management process. The correct identification of these terms helps in managing wool quality and assessing its market value appropriately.