Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Net wool revenue per head
$2.20
Total flock net wool revenue
$440
Gross wool value per head
$11.20
Shearing + handling cost per head
$9.00
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How to use this
- 1Enter ewes/flock size.
- 2Enter fleece weight (lb).
- 3Enter wool price (grease) ($/lb).
- 4Enter clean yield (if selling scoured) (%).
- 5Enter shearing cost ($/head).
- 6Enter other handling/hauling cost ($/head).
- 7Read your net wool revenue per head on the right — it updates as you type.
- 8Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Wool income on most commercial sheep operations is a modest secondary revenue stream compared to lamb sales, and shearing, crutching, and hauling costs eat a real share of the gross wool check. This calculator takes fleece weight, wool price (which varies enormously by micron count and quality grade), and per-head shearing and handling costs to show net wool revenue per head and for the flock, which is the number to weigh against whether wool income alone justifies maintaining a wool breed versus switching to a hair sheep breed that doesn't need shearing at all.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Ewes/flock size: 200
- Fleece weight: 8 lb
- Wool price (grease): 1.4 $/lb
- Clean yield (if selling scoured): 100 %
- Shearing cost: 7 $/head
- Other handling/hauling cost: 2 $/head
Results
- Net wool revenue per head: $2.20
- Total flock net wool revenue: $440
- Gross wool value per head: $11.20
- Shearing + handling cost per head: $9.00
What each field means
Inputs
- Ewes/flock size
- The ewes/flock size used in the calculation. Starts at 200 so you have a working example on load.
- Fleece weight (lb)
- The fleece weight used in the calculation, measured in lb. Starts at 8 lb so you have a working example on load.
- Wool price (grease) ($/lb)
- The wool price (grease) used in the calculation, measured in $/lb. Starts at 1.4 $/lb so you have a working example on load.
- Clean yield (if selling scoured) (%)
- The clean yield (if selling scoured) used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 100 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 30–100 %.
- Shearing cost ($/head)
- The shearing cost used in the calculation, measured in $/head. Starts at 7 $/head so you have a working example on load.
- Other handling/hauling cost ($/head)
- The other handling/hauling cost used in the calculation, measured in $/head. Starts at 2 $/head so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Net wool revenue per head
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total flock net wool revenue
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Gross wool value per head
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Shearing + handling cost per head
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Why does wool price vary so much?
Fine wool (under 22 micron, like Merino) commands significantly more per pound than coarse wool from meat breeds because it's usable in apparel, while coarse wool mostly goes into carpet and industrial uses at a much lower price point. Micron count, staple length, and cleanliness (vegetable matter content) all move the price within those categories too.
Can net wool revenue be negative?
Yes, and it commonly is on commercial meat-sheep flocks where wool price is low and shearing cost is fixed regardless of fleece value — many producers shear purely for animal welfare and health reasons (preventing flystrike, heat stress) rather than expecting wool to be a profit center.
Why are hair sheep breeds gaining popularity?
Hair breeds like Katahdin and Dorper shed naturally and need no shearing at all, which eliminates this whole cost line and the labor of finding and scheduling a shearer, at the cost of giving up any wool income — a reasonable trade where wool prices are low and lamb is the real revenue driver.
Does clean yield matter if I sell grease wool?
Not directly to your check if buyers pay a flat grease (unwashed) price, but understanding clean yield still matters because buyers price grease wool partly based on expected clean yield after removing lanolin, dirt, and vegetable matter, so a dirtier fleece often nets a lower grease price even before scouring.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
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Minimum sale price needed to cover purchase, feed, and yardage costs.
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Wool Shearing Revenue Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/wool-shearing-revenue
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/wool-shearing-revenue" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wool Shearing Revenue Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Wool Shearing Revenue Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/wool-shearing-revenue) (2026).