I am not what anyone would call an experienced sheep shearer. My experience is limited to trying to save wool and shearing a dead sheep with scissor/shears. Then the debacle of last year and trying to use pet shears to shear our two sheep. Lastly, when George was shot, I again didn’t want to waste his wool, so I ended up shearing a dead sheep for a second time. So until this evening I had sheared as many dead sheep as I had live sheep.
Thankfully, all of the weird, strange, or bad memories of shearing days past were forgotten tonight. Over the winter I found an actual shears on craigslist or ebay, I don’t remember which. Just knowing that we had the proper equipment made even starting the shearing process better. I used two cattle panels, a couple T posts, and a scoop of feed to get the sheep penned in a small area in the corner of their pasture. The shears made all the difference in the world. We ended up oiling and cleaning it between each sheep and getting the four sheep done inside an hour. A significant improvement over last year. The finished look isn’t professional by any stretch, but we are definitely improving. Hopefully next year, when we have at least 8 sheep to shear we are better yet.
Before – Wooly Mammoths
After – They look so much smaller
My three fleeces, my bil’s isn’t pictured
While we had them penned we got Boots, the male that we are going to keep as a pet, and banded his testicles. This is a safe, quick, effective way to castrate lambs.
The elastrator band
If you didn’t know he was banded, you wouldn’t be able to tell. Boots only reaction to the band is as though something feels different down there. He isn’t crying or wailing at all. Because of that band, he will get to live a good long life as a pet.
Also while we had them all penned we made sure to get our hands on all the babies. Other than Boots, the babies aren’t interested in being held. There are going to be times that it is necessary and more and more I want them to get used to us handling them. I may have my sons try and start halter training some of them this summer.
So it was a very successful evening. Now I have to figure out what to do with all this wool I am accruing.
