- Why shear sheep?
We shear because humans have bread sheep and goats for their wool and hair.Before sheep were slef rooing which means they shead. Some sheep are still considered rooing sheep and will shead. These are mostly meat sheep. Fine wool sheep do not shead and because of this we have the responsibility to take the fiber off of the animals for their well being. Sheep, espically in the southern United States can over heat and can possiable die.
- When do I get my sheep shorn?
If you are lambing we like to shear 4-6 weeks before that. This helps us shear because that baby helps pull the belly tight, but the baby isnt too awefully big that it would be uncomfortable for the ewe. Shearing before lambing is also recomended because it makes for a cleaner birth and it helps lambs nurse because the teet is not hidden in a mop of wool. If you are not lambing it is typical for us to start our season in March and go into the summer months. Sheep need to be shorn before it gets too hot to prevent heat related injury to the sheep. This is espically important if your sheep have not been shorn in a while and have too much wool on. Some breeds need to be shorn twice a year. If this is you the second shearing is typically done in the early fall between August and October.
- Why can’t you shear wet sheep?
We can not shear wet sheep for a few reasons one is the safety of the animal. Wet wool clumps up and will get caught in the shears and makes it more likley for the sheep to get cut with the shears. Another reason is because our shears will over heat faster when they are introduced to a lot of moisture and this can be uncomfortable for the sheep as well as the sheerer.
- How long should I go before having my sheep shorn?
Most producers will have their sheep shorn at least once a year. Some breeds do require a trim twice a year. You want about 3 inches of fiber per fleece.
- What do we need to do to get ready for shearing?
There is not much that needs to be done to the sheep to get them ready. The following is a broad list to follow.
- Keep the sheep off feed and water for 24 hours before shearing
- This makes the sheep more comfortable when they are being shorn. It also helps to keep the shearing floor clean and in turn it helps to not diminish the value of the fleece by keeping it free from contamination.
- Keep them dry (see ablove)
- Pen them up the night before.
- This allows us to come out and start shearing rather than have to coralle sheep for half an hour. We want this to go smooth and fast and having the sheep already in a pen helps us acomplish that goal.
- We need electricity
- We do bring a 100ft extension cord with us, but we need someplace to plug it.
Plese contact us with anymore questions you have that should be added to this list.