home > Control > Business: production of various products from sheep's wool. Own business: raising camels Differences between domestic camels and wild ones


Business: production of various products from sheep's wool. Own business: raising camels Differences between domestic camels and wild ones




Growing sheep and using them in the household has long been used in many regions of Russia. China is considered the most developed region in this line of business, they have about 25 million head of livestock.

Processing of raw materials in different regions

Wool processing, as a branch of business, began to develop in Russia relatively recently, but has already reached the level of Spain and Morocco. The state wants sheep breeding to become the leading direction in the country over time, and various state programs are being developed for this. High-quality woolen raw materials are needed for the market for daily use products.

Features of the process of organizing a sheep breeding business

The extraction of sheep's wool is often a secondary or additional product, in addition to this, milk and meat are usually obtained from sheep. The requirements for wool processing in Russia are quite high and are carefully controlled by the state, especially in certain regions. In Russia, you can easily hand over processed raw materials to various textile factories - this makes the business more promising. For high-quality work, special equipment is required, without which production will be ineffective.

When working, you can not do without:

  1. Drying equipment.
  2. Ironing equipment
  3. Machines from mats
  4. washing machine

This equipment can also be useful in other industries, as it is suitable for working with any fibers. A small production processes on average from 15 to 400 kg per hour. The final stage is the drying and ironing of raw materials. An obligatory requirement for wool processing is ironing and drying. Without such processing, textile factories do not accept raw materials.

Starting a Wool Processing Business

With the right business plan, recycling becomes a very profitable business. It can be both a small production and a full-fledged factory. For large business owners, it makes sense to create several workshops for primary processing, as well as the extraction of meat and milk.

For larger factories, it is worth paying attention to small regional factories, since it will be possible to buy initial raw materials from them in the future and process them into textiles.

The most budgetary option for opening a business in this direction is the opening of a small workshop in which primary processing will take place. Subsequently, on the basis of this workshop, you can open a small textile production, which over time will be able to move to the regional level.


In favor of opening a business in this industry is the fact that a large number of industries were closed in the post-Soviet period. Currently, this industry has begun to revive, little competition makes this area very promising and in demand.

This business plan can be developed in the following formats:

  • A network enterprise that processes wool, which is bought from the local population and small farms. For the purpose of further delivery to larger factories.
  • Processing of raw materials on the basis of local small factories, to meet the needs of the region.
  • Large enterprises with a full production cycle, created to supply products outside the region.

Organization of production

Proper organization of production is the key to success. Wool processing production consists of these stages:

  • reception and sorting of initial raw materials;
  • processing of wool from burdocks on special equipment;
  • tangle and wool cleaning in general;
  • a line of wool washing machines, a total of five cycles;
  • drying the washed fiber;
  • package;
  • storage of finished products.

Depending on the volume of production, space from 30 to 250 square meters will be required to accommodate the equipment.

Quite an exotic branch of animal husbandry for Russia. Nevertheless, we simply do not have serious reasons not to engage in camel breeding. These animals are quite unpretentious to the conditions of detention, therefore they equally well tolerate the climate of the southern Volga region and the Far Eastern Arctic, not to mention the western regions with a temperate climate.

camel industry

Modern camels are represented by two types - one-humped and two-humped. One-humped camels were tamed and domesticated about 6 thousand years ago, that is, simultaneously with horses. Two-humped - two thousand years later.

In those parts of the world where camels are bred, they are important either as pack animals or as a source of valuable milk, meat, wool and skin. In hot countries, these animals are kept in a semi-nomadic way, mainly on free grazing. In regions where winters are characterized by a significant (below zero) decrease in temperature, animals are kept in sheds and covered pens in a loose way.

Working camels are valued for their unparalleled endurance and ability to effortlessly endure the most extreme weather conditions while performing hard physical work. As a pack animal, a camel is able to travel 30-40 km per day, carrying 250-300 kg of cargo. And although it is inferior to a horse in terms of speed of movement, the duration of transitions and the amount of cargo carried, on the contrary, are greater.

As a source of meat, milk and wool, camels are in many ways comparable to cows. With an average weight of animals of 500-700 kg and a meat yield of 55-60%, 250-350 kg of meat can be obtained from them. Milk yields are not impressive - 1500-2000 liters per year from a dairy camel, but the fat content of camel milk is almost twice as high as that of cow milk. Camel milk also contains three times more vitamin C and 10 times more iron.

Bactrian camels are larger, stronger and more productive, especially the Kalmyk breed. However, some hybrids of two-humped and one-humped camels are characterized by even greater size and endurance.

Camel breeding in Russia and in the world

Initially, camels adapted to living in hot arid regions of the planet, where other large herbivores could not survive. Several thousand years have passed since the domestication of these animals, but camels are still bred almost exclusively in desert and semi-desert areas.

Today, camel breeding plays an important role in animal husbandry only in some Arab-Muslim countries with a significant area of ​​​​deserts and semi-deserts. These are mainly countries of the Near and Middle East, as well as North Africa. Almost exclusively one-humped camels are bred here, more adapted specifically to the heat. The importance of camel breeding in these countries stems not so much from the usefulness of the animals as from the need for traction for transport and agriculture. Simply put, due to the total poverty of the population, people are forced to use camels instead of cars and tractors.

The situation is different with the countries of Central Asia, formerly part of the USSR. Although, with the exception of richer Kazakhstan, their standard of living is comparable to that of the Arab world, camels (mostly two-humped ones) are bred here mainly for their meat, milk and wool. But their use as pack animals also takes place.

Australia stands apart, where camels were brought in the century before last to transport goods in the desert parts of the country, and today they are used exclusively for racing.

In general, the world population of camels is about 14 million animals, of which about half is concentrated in the countries of North Africa and the Middle East. For this reason, 90% of the world's livestock are one-humped camels. Adapted not only to heat, but also to frost, Bactrian camels are in demand mainly in Central Asia, Mongolia and China.

As for Russia, we have camels bred only in some regions adjacent to the zones where these animals were once found in the wild. The most significant livestock to date has been recorded in the Astrakhan region (more than 4100 heads), Kalmykia (about 1000 heads), Altai (about 500 heads) and Transbaikalia (300 heads).

Is camel business possible in Russia?

Speaking about the fact that camel breeding is not traditional for Russia, we are somewhat sinning against the truth. Camels have never really been seriously bred in the regions that today belong to the Central, Central Black Earth, Northern and Northwestern economic regions. However, in the southern regions mentioned above (the Volga region and Southern Siberia), camels have been bred since time immemorial. And for these places camel breeding is very typical.

The only reason why camels are bred only in the south is the fact that in other regions it is more profitable to breed other types of livestock - cows, sheep, goats, deer. Camel breeding makes sense only if there are no suitable conditions for more productive animals in the area.

As already mentioned, in the world camels are bred mainly by residents of poor countries who need draft cattle. Since we do not have this problem, camel breeding in Russia is mainly focused on the production of meat, milk, wool and skins.

The main issue that worries entrepreneurs considering camel breeding as a possible direction for business is the prospects for marketing products. Since the vast majority of Russians have never tasted either camel meat or camel milk, there seems to be no demand for these products. However, the volumes of production of these products on a national scale are so negligible that de facto competition is also absent. Thus, you can find distribution channels if you correctly build a marketing strategy and present your products as a rare exotic that is worth trying.

To understand what market is potentially available, one statistic should be given: the city of Moscow alone eats more than 2.5 thousand tons of meat PER DAY! With such a scale of consumption, finding a niche for selling 100-200 kg of camel meat per day is not at all a problem. The main thing is to be able to correctly position your products.

How to start breeding camels?

Of course, before you start investing in creating a business, you first need to carefully calculate everything. Moreover, in the case of camels, providing conditions for keeping and purchasing young animals is by no means the main problem that needs to be dealt with. Since there is no tradition of eating camel meat and camel milk in Russia, you will first have to work out distribution channels, having at least preliminary agreements with several wholesale buyers (restaurants, shops, sausage shops).

It is quite possible that you will be able to find a market for your products only in another region, several hundred or even thousands of kilometers from the farm itself. Thus, it is necessary to study the issues of logistics and calculate whether it would be generally expedient to transport meat and milk over such a distance, and, if so, how transport costs can be minimized.

Registration of a camel farm

The creation of a camel farm in general differs little from the construction of an ordinary cattle farm with cows. After making sure that the enterprise will be profitable, you need to register with the local tax office as a peasant farm (KFH). You can also limit yourself to the status of an individual entrepreneur, but this will not give any significant advantages, since taxation under a simplified system is also available for peasant farms.

The KFH format also has clear advantages over LLCs, since the state is more actively helping small farms through benefits and subsidies. In principle, if you plan to start very small, for example, half a dozen animals, then you can go along the path of registering a personal subsidiary plot that does not pay taxes at all.

In addition to registering with the tax office, you must also coordinate your activities with the veterinary service. Obtaining a veterinary certificate can be quite a challenge, as there are many different standards and requirements for the quality of milk and meat. Moreover, the requirements are not only federal, but also local, which only complicates the task of the entrepreneur. You will spend much less money, time and effort if you seek help in this matter from a competent specialized lawyer from the very beginning.

In the best case, all bureaucratic issues will take you two or three months and 20-30 thousand rubles. But this is in the most optimistic version.

Farm site

The advantage of camels is that they can eat the worst and coarsest grass that other animals would never eat. To create a camel farm, neither rich water meadows nor steppe herbs are needed. In view of this, it is possible to rent or buy land rejected by other farmers for relatively little money - poor sandy plots, salt marshes, etc.

By the way, a good idea would be to open a small camel farm with a large livestock or crop farm. In this case, camels can be fed almost free food - rejected feed or even crop waste, which is not suitable for cows and sheep.

If you plan to open a farm in a sparsely populated region with huge no-man's land of steppes and semi-deserts, then you can completely limit yourself to buying / renting one or two hectares to build the necessary outbuildings on them. In this case, for most of the year, when the land is not covered with snow, animals can be kept free range, that is, free food.

It is quite difficult to calculate even approximately the amount of funds needed for the construction of pens, sheds, a cutting and cutting shop and other outbuildings. Too much depends on the scale and format of the enterprise. But in any case, you need to proceed from the fact that at the very beginning you will have to invest several million rubles.

Where to take animals?

If young cattle can be bought in any region of the country, then for camels you will have to go to one of the few camel breeding farms located in the Volga region or Southern Siberia. There, for one camel they will take about 70 thousand rubles, for an adult it is even more expensive. However, it makes no sense to buy adult animals, since they will not pay for themselves. If desired, you can buy livestock abroad - in Kazakhstan or other countries of Central Asia.

You should buy young animals only after consulting with a specialist who will tell you the optimal age and the quantitative ratio of purchased males and females. However, if the farm works in relative proximity (not more than fifty kilometers) from another farm where there are males, then it is possible to get by with camels alone. In this case, the male can be brought to them for insemination once every few months. And while insemination services will have to be paid for, this approach may be more beneficial in terms of cost balance.

Personnel search and other organizational issues.

Camels are considered more capricious (in terms of character) than cows. But this is true only if they are used as beasts of burden. Caring for an ordinary meat and dairy herd is much easier. In fact, one or two cattle breeders will be enough to manage several dozen animals. Since not a single educational institution trains camel care specialists in Russia, these positions will have to be hired simply by experienced cattle breeders who know how to deal with cattle.

These are mammals of the camelid family of the callus-footed order. The undersurface of their foot is an elastic, calloused cushion. There are two types of camels: one-humped - dromedary and two-humped - Bactrian. Dromedaries live in more southern hot places - in India, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, North Africa, on the peninsula of Asia Minor.

Domestic Bactrian camels are bred in Mongolia, Western China and here, in the CIS - in Buryatia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, in the Astrakhan and Trans-Volga steppes of the Russian Federation, where there are dry steppes, semi-deserts and deserts. In the deserts of Central Asia, wild two-humped camels have survived. Camels are ruminants. Their body is adapted to the harsh conditions of dry steppes, semi-deserts and deserts. In the cells of the rumen of the stomach of a camel, the liquid is stored for a long time. Therefore, he can do without water, and also drink water that is unsuitable for other types of farm animals. Camels feed on saltwort and wormwood, as well as camel thorn, saxaul. In case of interruptions in feeding and watering, reserve fat stored in humps (up to 150 kg) is used.

Salt must be included in the diet. Water is drunk twice a day in summer, once in winter. Camels complete growth at 7 years of age. Camels give birth to one camel every two years. A camel breastfeeds for 18 months. In cold weather, camels are kept separately from their mothers in warm rooms and allowed to feed them 6-7 times a day.

In places with severe winters, camels are kept without a leash in barn bases with a walking yard, in the southern regions - in shed bases. The room should be dry, with regularly changing bedding (from the remains of hay, weeds, reeds). High humidity for a camel is detrimental.

Animals are used in various jobs in harness. The camel, especially the dromedary, as a beast of burden is far superior to the horse and mule. During long-distance transitions (passes 30-40 km a day and carries on (packs of 250-300 kg, i.e. almost half of its own weight. Under a rider, a camel can travel over 100 km a day, developing speeds up to 10-12 km / They also use camel milk, wool, meat.Bactrians produce 600-800 kg of milk per year, and dromedaries - 1000-2 or more.The milk of camels is rich in fat -5-6%.In terms of vitamin C content, it significantly exceeds cow's.C about 6-10 kg or more of wool is sheared from one Bactrian camel, and from dromedaries - an average of 2-4 kg.

They are sheared once a year, in the spring after molting, at the end of frost. High quality camel meat. In our country, one breed of one-humped camels is bred - Arvana and three breeds of two-humped camels - Kalmyk, Kazakh and Mongolian. The most valuable breed is Kalmyk. Hybrids of dromedaries and Bactrians (bunk beds and iners) are widely used. They are larger and heavier than other camels. The growth of dromedaries and Bactrians is on average 170-175 cm, weight - 550-700 kg. Camels live up to 30-35 years.

When breeding camels, purebred breeding, interbreeding and hybridization are used. The largest number of breeding stock of camels in our republic is represented by the Kazakh Bactrian breed - more than 7 thousand or 86.8%.


The largest livestock of tribal Kazakh Bactrians is concentrated in Kyzylorda - more than 2.2 thousand and Atyrau - about a thousand. Arvan accounts for a little over 13% of the breeding stock of camels in the republic.
Further breeding work requires a careful distinction between species and breeds of camels, as well as a clear application of breeding methods - purebred, interspecific and interbreed.
Scientists of the republic have developed methods for improving the breeding and productive qualities of the Kazakh Bactrian breed through purebred breeding and crossing with Kalmyk Bactrian and Turkmen Arvan breeders.
According to the doctor of agricultural sciences Z.M. Musaev, the goal of breeding purebred Kazakh camels is to obtain animals of combined productivity with the predominant development of the milk trait. Long-term experience shows that Kazakh camels can be successfully used in dairy camel breeding under the “camel-calf” program. However, in the conditions of our republic, it is more expedient to preserve and improve combined types in the breed: dairy, meat and wool. Crossbreeds from crossing with sires of the Turkmen Aruana breed should be bred according to the program of the dairy type of the Kazakh breed.
Based on the concept of development of the agro-industrial complex of PK for the period up to 2010, the livestock should be stabilized at the level of 180-200 thousand heads, milk yield of camels should be increased from 600 kg in 1995 to 1000 kg in 2010. Implementation of regional quotas for the production of shubat with the payment of guaranteed purchase prices, which provide an opportunity for expanded reproduction of the industry, protection of the interests of the domestic producer of shubat.
Purebred breeding of the Kazakh Bactrian provides for a thorough selection for the exterior, body index, fertility and milkiness. B. Kozhan and others believe that the queens of the breeding herd should have a live weight of at least 520 kg, a wool cut of 5.0 kg, a height between the humps of 165 cm, an oblique body length of 140 cm, a chest girth of 225 cm, a metacarpus girth of 20.5 cm.
Purebred males - producers of Bactrian must have a live weight of at least 650 kg, wool cut - at least 7.0 kg. Milk productivity of mothers for 12 months of lactation - 1250 kg with a fat content of at least 5.2%
The best among the breeds of two-humped camels is Kalmyk and it is used as an improvement for other breeds of two-humped camels - Kazakh and Mongolian. Kazakh-Kalmyk Bactrians in our republic are distributed mainly in the West Kazakhstan, Atyrau and Aktobe regions. In the South Kazakhstan region, the number of Kazakh-Kalmyk Bactrians is more than 1000 heads.
The crossbreeding of Kazakh and Mongolian camels with Kalmyk ones, carried out in order to improve them, does not interfere with purebred breeding, because. does not break the existing type of breeds of Bactrian camels, but only increases their height and productive qualities, creates a basis for further breeding work.
Since ancient times, the indigenous population of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan practiced crossing Bactrians and dromedaries. Scientists believe that interspecific hybridization between two-humped and one-humped camels is of great importance in the national economy. According to Turkic terminology, male hybrids are called nars, or iners, and females are called Nar-Maya, and they are distinguished by increased heterosis.
Heterosis is already manifested in newborn camels, which are born with a higher live weight. In the future, higher average daily gains are observed.


Adult hybrids of the 1st generation have a greater height at the withers - from 180 to 215 cm, in comparison with Bactrians and dromedaries - 170-175. Bones and muscles are powerful, traction and endurance are much higher. The milk yield of Nar-Maya hybrids is 2000 liters or more of milk per year, with a fat content of up to 5.14%, while the average milk yield of Bactrians is 800 liters, dromedaries 1300-1400 liters.
The Turkmens call the male of the 1st generation Iner, the female, like the Kazakhs - Maya or Iner - Maya.
The high viability of I-generation hybrids - nars and iners is manifested in their exceptional strength and endurance, less susceptibility to diseases. Nars and iners under equal conditions of keeping and feeding have a higher fatness compared to Bactrians and dromedaries.
The appearance of Nars and Maya is similar to dromedaries, however, the hump, although one, is always elongated. Males do not have a palatine curtain, characteristic of dromedaries, due to which they make peculiar sounds during the yar period. Bearing in mind the appearance of a hybrid, it becomes clear that camels cannot simply be divided into one-humped and two-humped ones, because. hybrids can also be single-humped.
Hybrids "in themselves" are not bred, because. the resulting offspring is defective. Males of the 1st generation are usually castrated, and females are covered with producers of the original species (Bactrian, or dromedary).


From covering the hybrid of the uterus with Bactrian, as a result of absorption crossing, ball-cospaks (3/4 blood according to Bactrian) are obtained, having two humps united by a fold. With further coverage of the uterus of hybrids of the 2nd generation with Bactrians, cospacs are born with two close humps.
When the Nar-Maya is covered with dromedaries, single-humped males are born - kochert and females - kerdari. Hybrids of subsequent generations are called sapaldryks. In the second and subsequent crossing, heterosis disappears.
Camels born from male and female hybrids of the 1st generation are called "jarbal", which means "stuffed animal". They have a poorly developed chest (crooked chest), weak constitution and skeleton, high mortality. Therefore, hybrids of the 1st generation are of economic importance and it is difficult to talk about creating a new breed by hybridization.
In the distribution areas of the Bactrian hybrids of the 1st generation are obtained by covering their females with dromedaries, and in the breeding areas of dromedaries, their females are covered with Bactrians.


In the practice of camel breeding, it is necessary to be able to distinguish purebred camels from hybrids.


I - purebred Bactrian; II - purebred dromedary; III - hybrid of the first generation; IV - a descendant from crossing a hybrid of the first generation with Bactrian; V is a descendant from crossing a hybrid of the first generation with a dromedary.
A purebred Bactrian has two separate humps. Between their bases, a gap not filled with fat is not less than 10 cm. Along the upper edge of the neck - a mane, along the entire lower edge of the neck - a beard. On the forearms there is a strongly developed edge. The purebred dromedary has one compact hump located in the center of the back. A small mane along the upper edge of the neck, a short beard along the lower edge, reaching only half of the neck; forearms do not have edges; and in the area of ​​the scapula there is an edge in the form of epaulettes. The hybrid of the first generation has one slightly elongated hump with a small notch in the front half. The type of overgrowth is identical with Bactrian. The offspring from crossing the hybrid of the first generation with Bactrian has a forked hump. The type of overgrowth is identical with Bactrian. Hybrids of subsequent generations of absorption crossing to Bactrian have an increasingly forked hump, with no gap between the hump. The descendant from crossing the hybrid of the first generation with the dromedary has one compact hump, like that of the dromedary, but differs from it in the form of overgrowth. It has an edge before the shoulders - riding breeches. Hybrids of subsequent generations of absorption crossing on the dromedary also have the edge of the forearms, although insignificant.

Currently, the topic of own business is very relevant. More and more people are choosing to start their own business instead of working for someone else. However, in order for the funds spent to become profitable, you should carefully choose the industry in which you will invest them.

It so happened that trade is considered the most low-cost and most profitable area. Although in reality this is far from the case. Work in the field of trade is now difficult - too many trading, agency, intermediary and similar companies have appeared on the market in recent years. What is left in this case? Manufacturing and agriculture.

Wool business is a profitable business

The agro-industrial complex is an industry where capital cannot quickly turn around and grow, but at the same time, this line of business is investment-attractive. Industrial production, on the contrary, is a sphere that allows you to return investments and increase capital in a short time, but at present it is going through hard times.

Based on the foregoing, we can conclude: now it is effective to invest in production, located at the junction of industry and agriculture. Sheep wool processing is just such an activity. A processing enterprise with a competent organization of work can function very successfully. This is a low-cost and profitable line of business.

On the subject of wool

First you need to study all the subtleties of the material with which you are going to work. Sheep wool includes four types of fibers:

  • fluff is a very soft, thin, but strong fiber, round in cross section;
  • transitional hair - a coarser and thicker fiber than fluff;
  • awns - a fiber even more rigid than transitional hair;
  • dead hair is a coarse, non-crimped and very thick fiber in diameter, covered with lamellar large scales.

If the wool mainly consists of the same type of fibers, for example only down and transitional hair, then it is called "homogeneous". One that contains all types of fibers is referred to as "heterogeneous".

Material properties

The main feature of wool is the ability to felt. This property is explained by the softness and crimpiness of the fibers, the presence of a scaly layer on the surface. The production of woolen fabrics is a labor-intensive process. Drapes, cloth, felt, felted and felt products are produced from the material. Wool has a low thermal conductivity, so it is indispensable in the production of suit and dress, coat fabrics, winter knitwear.

Material removed from sheep is usually highly contaminated and generally of very variable quality. Therefore, before sending wool to a textile enterprise, it is primarily processed. This process includes sorting, loosening, scutching, washing, drying, packaging.

Factory location

Sheep wool processing has one significant advantage over other agricultural businesses. This activity is not related to food products, so there will be no special requirements for production facilities and personnel. The building must comply with current building codes - this is the only thing to consider.

The ideal option for the location of the enterprise, where the processing of sheep wool will be carried out, is the regional center of the region, in which woolen livestock breeding is developed. Regional centers do not always meet the needs of sales, because as the material reaches there through a chain of intermediaries, accordingly, its cost increases.

Among other things, if the district center is small and is an urban-type settlement, you may be provided with additional subsidies and benefits by the state. Now the government pays great attention to the development of the village, so it is quite possible that you will be able to get tax preferences, a loan on special terms, a discount on the leasing purchase of equipment, and many other bonuses.

Recruitment

In such a field of activity as wool processing, workers do not need to have a qualification permit to work and sanitary books. For an average enterprise with the operation of two or three lines, five to six service personnel are sufficient, including a technologist and an engineer.

These two specialists must have specialized education, respectively, their salary will be higher than that of ordinary workers. The work of the remaining employees is considered unskilled, so the cost of paying it will not be large.

Work specifics

Equipment for processing sheep wool should be selected depending on the extent to which you are going to process the incoming material. Such a business has several directions, and work on each of them will require completely different starting investments. Purifying wool is one thing, but processing it into thread or yarn is quite another. Of course, in the second case, you will be able to sell products more expensive, but just cleaned wool also finds its buyer.

When choosing a direction, take into account such aspects as the state of the market in the region, the possible volume of supplies of raw materials, the possibility of selling wool outside the region or even abroad. We will talk about options for the development of wool production, taking into account different financial opportunities.

Purified wool production

This is the cheapest investment option. Do not think that washing wool is so easy. Not at all. Many mistakenly believe that the material processed in such a seemingly primitive way will not be in demand on the market. In fact, washing wool is a rather laborious process. Let's describe it in more detail.

Raw materials entering the plant are first received and classified according to standards. Wool is also divided into grades, which are then processed and sold separately from each other. After sorting, the material enters a special loading machine. This is an apparatus that supplies wool in portions, depending on the performance of the equipment. Such a unit is also called a "deburring machine", since burrs are separated from the wool in it.

Then the raw material enters the second apparatus, where the tangles are torn and the wool is cleaned of debris. The material goes through several immersion baths - water tanks - and squeezing machines (a total of five washing cycles). After the last spin through a loading machine, the same as that used at the very beginning, but already intended for pure raw materials, the wool is fed into the dryer. After drying, it is packed and sent for sale.

Cost of equipment

The processing of sheep wool in the manner described above requires the use of expensive equipment. Prices for cars depend largely on their power. So, for example, a line for washing and drying wool, with a capacity of 10-20 kilograms per hour, will cost around 500 thousand rubles, and with a capacity of 400 kilograms per hour - about 10 million rubles.

You will also need a steam boiler to supply heat to the dryer and heat water for the immersion baths of the appropriate capacity. Such a unit with a pressure of 10 atmospheres and a capacity of 2 tons will cost about 2 million rubles. In addition, it must be taken into account that the wool left after washing cannot be lowered into the sewer.

To purify water from organic pollution, filtration treatment facilities should be used. Their cost is an average of 2.5 million rubles. Wool is packed using a pressing machine that forms briquettes weighing 70-80 kilograms and measuring 800x400x600 millimeters. The price of such a device is about 150 thousand rubles.

In principle, on this list of equipment through which sheep wool is processed can be considered exhausted. It should be noted that wool shipped in bulk is valued less than pressed wool, so the purchase of a pressing machine is already a step towards improvement and the transition to a complete production chain.

Production of woolen threads

This is a technically more complex variant of activity, and much more so. It consists in obtaining yarn and threads from purified wool. Of course, capital investments in such production will also require more. You will need to expand production capacity, as well as staff - they will need at least 20-25.

A spinning machine will cost about 12.5 million rubles, and a line for the production of threads will require costs in the range of 18-30 million rubles, depending on what the capacity will be (4 or 8 tons per shift).

Felting wool

At present, felting is experiencing a rebirth. Within the framework of a functioning wool processing enterprise, you can also engage in such activities. Almost everything is now made from felt: hats, accessories, clothes, interior items, bags, toys and more. Felting refers to needlework, craftsmen often work at home, because special devices are not required for such an activity. But you can put things on stream.

Felt is felted in two ways. The technique of wet felting from wool is used in the manufacture of decorative interior items: garlands, vases, flowers. The dry method is used to create three-dimensional products: dolls, jewelry, toys. Each method requires the use of different materials. Wet felting involves the use of soap and hot water; dry felting requires special serif needles.