Wool Yield & Greasy, Clean & Clip Value
Clips Merino
Enter sheep, fleece weight, clean yield and price to get greasy wool, clean woolafter scouring and the sale value of the clip — so you can plan and price your wool.
Flock wool yield & value
Next: sell on the clean basis — buyers pay for the 150 kg of recoverable fibre, not the grease and dirt; skirt fleeces and class by micron to lift the price/kg.
Greasy wool carries lanolin, suint and dust; clean (scoured) yield is what the mill actually gets. Price and yield both rise sharply with finer micron and better preparation.
Wool clip — key facts
- Greasy wool
- sheep × fleece weight
- Clean wool
- greasy × clean yield %
- Clip value
- greasy wool × price/kg
- Clean yield
- ≈ 50–65%
- Merino fleece
- ≈ 3–6 kg
- Sold basis
- greasy at the farm gate
- Lowers yield
- dirt, grease, vegetable matter
- Privacy
- Runs in your browser; nothing uploaded
From greasy fleece to clean fibre and a cheque
A flock's wool clip starts simple — sheep times fleece weight — but only part of that greasy weight is usable fibre. Scouring strips out grease, suint, dirt and vegetable matter, leaving the clean wool that processors actually pay for, typically 50–65% of the greasy weight. The greasy clip is what crosses the farm-gate scale and sets the sale value, while the clean yield decides how much real fibre buyers are getting for their money.
This tool gives the greasy wool, clean wool after scouring, the clip value and your sheep count from flock size, fleece weight, clean yield and price. Use it to plan shearing, budget wool income, compare offers and see how clean yield swings the worth of an otherwise identical clip. Pair it with the Animal Weight Estimator, Pasture Budget and Goat Farming Profit tools for a fuller small-stock plan.
Size the clip
Know greasy and clean weight before shearing.
Price with confidence
Turn fleece weight and price into gross value.
Judge clean yield
See how scouring loss changes real fibre.
Budget wool income
Plan returns across the whole flock.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a wool clip?+
A wool clip is the total wool shorn from a flock in a shearing — sheep × fleece weight per head. It is first weighed greasy (as it comes off the sheep, full of wool grease, dirt and moisture), and only part of that becomes clean wool after scouring. The greasy clip is what you sell and what sets the gross value at the farm gate.
How is wool yield calculated?+
Greasy wool = number of sheep × average fleece weight. Clean wool = greasy wool × clean yield %. Value = greasy wool × price per kg (greasy basis). For example 200 sheep at 4 kg fleece give an 800 kg greasy clip; at 60% clean yield that is 480 kg of clean wool, and at a greasy price you read straight off the gross value.
What is clean yield and why does it matter?+
Clean yield is the percentage of greasy wool that remains as usable fibre once grease (lanolin), suint, dirt and vegetable matter are scoured out — typically 50–65% for most wools, higher for cleaner clips. It matters because processors pay on a clean basis: two clips of equal greasy weight are worth very different money if their clean yields differ.
Why does greasy wool set the value?+
At the farm gate wool is bought and weighed greasy, so the greasy weight times the price is your gross return. But buyers discount according to expected clean yield, micron and contamination — so a high clean yield, fine micron and low vegetable matter lift the price per greasy kilo. The tool shows both weights so you see the full picture.
What is a typical fleece weight?+
It varies widely by breed: fine-wool Merinos may shear 3–6 kg, while long-wool and crossbred sheep can yield more. Lambs and hoggets clip less than mature ewes and wethers. Use your own flock average if you have it; otherwise the breed average gives a solid planning figure for the whole clip.
How do I find my clean yield percentage?+
Clean yield is measured by a wool-testing laboratory on a core sample, and is reported on sale documents. As a rule of thumb, well-grown, lower-grease clips sit toward 60–65% and heavy, greasy or dirty clips lower. If you do not have a test, 55–60% is a reasonable middle estimate for many flocks.
Does this work for any breed or wool type?+
Yes — enter the right average fleece weight and clean yield for your breed and the calculator handles fine Merino, crossbred, carpet or coarse wool the same way. The greasy-to-clean relationship is universal; only the typical numbers differ, so use figures that match your sheep for the most accurate clip and value.
Can it help me price a clip before selling?+
Yes — by entering a price per greasy kilo you get the gross value of the whole clip, so you can compare offers, budget income and decide whether to sell now or hold. Pair it with micron and clean-yield expectations from your wool test to judge whether a price reflects the quality of your fibre.
What lowers clean yield and value?+
Excess vegetable matter (seeds, burrs), dust, dung, weathering, and very greasy fleeces all cut clean yield and attract price discounts. Good husbandry — crutching, jetting, clean feed and timely shearing — keeps fleeces cleaner, lifts clean yield and protects the price you get per greasy kilogram of the clip.
Are the figures precise?+
They are dependable planning figures. Real clip weights vary with shearing technique, season, nutrition and how accurately you know your flock's fleece weight and clean yield. Weigh your clip and use lab-tested yields where possible, and treat the value as gross before selling and freight costs rather than a final cheque.