Wool Yield & Greasy, Clean & Clip Value

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.