Breaks result from stress such as sickness, lambing difficulties, or severe storms. A sound fleece is free of breaks or tender wool. You test for these conditions by pulling the lock from each end. If the wool fibers separate easily, leaving ragged ends, they are most likely tender. If a distinct separation occurs, the fleece has a break.
Environmental conditions can cause waste.
The most common is weathered tips. Check the tips to see if they are tender. Another factor causing waste is second cuts. This is usually not very important in wool judging, but is a serious problem to producers. It is caused by a shearer cutting the wool fibers two or more times.