The health and happiness of your sheep depend heavily on sheep shearing. While it is true that shearing sheep is a dirty, sweaty, and exhausting task, it is also one that is incredibly satisfying.
The procedure by which a sheep's woolly fleece is removed is called shearing. Typically, adult sheep are shorn once a year. And a shearing barn is where the annual shearing is most frequently done.
Generally, sheep are shorn all year round, depending on the environment and management needs. The ewes are typically shorn just before lambing, whereas the rams can be shorn at any time. However, shearing a sheep before or during the winter is not advised.
Nonetheless, it can occasionally be very challenging to locate someone to help you shear your sheep.
You might think about handling the procedure yourself. Here, we go into further detail about how to shear a sheep if you are new to the process.
The procedure of Shearing Sheep
You can get in touch with a skilled sheep shearer (it will cost you some money). Follow this advice if you are new to this process and want to handle everything on your own. In this section, we'll go over more details of shearing sheep.
Get The Right Sheep Shearing Tools
Having high-quality shearing equipment is crucial. For both you and your animals, shearing will be considerably simpler and safer if you use high-quality equipment. Today, electric cutters are the most popular. Depending on the locality, the precise cost may change. For additional information, kindly visit shearquantity.com for more information on sheep shearing equipment.
Herd The Sheep into A Pen
You should round up and collect the sheep into a corral before beginning to shear. Moreover, you should think about grouping the sheep if it's practicable.
The yearlings, ewes, rams, and lambs can all be kept apart from one another. Don't let the sheep get wet before shearing. It will be beneficial if you deprive them of food the day before shearing.
By doing this, they will produce less waste and contribute to maintaining the cleanliness of the shearing floor.
Get the Sheep in Position
The first step in sheep shearing is to place the sheep correctly. Throughout the shearing process, you will need to adopt five key stances.
In the first position, you gently tip the sheep onto its back while supporting it by putting its shoulders in between your knees. The sheep should have its four legs up in the air and its belly exposed.
Always keep in mind that your sheep will struggle less if it is more at ease during the shearing procedure. And this will make shearing a lot simpler for you.
Start Shearing
Start shearing your sheep from the belly because that area typically has the dirtiest and least marketable wool. So, the ideal place to begin is at the sheep's belly. Long, sure blows are used to shear the wool from the top of the brisket down to the open flank area.
Shear off the wool in between your first and second blows, which should be made on the right and left sides, respectively. To make the remainder of your job easier, make sure the first and second bellies are spaced far enough apart.
Shear The Crotch And The Interior of The Hind Legs
It's time to shear the inside of the hind legs and the crotch after shearing the belly. Holding the sheep firmly between the knees, raise the shears along the right leg's inner. After that, bring across the shears to cut the wool along the crotch.
Then cut the inside of the right leg with the shears. Here, you need to be cautious of the ewes' teats. It is advisable to cover the teats with your non-dominant hand to avoid accidentally shaving them off.
Change Position & Shear the Left Hind Leg and Tail
You need to shift into a new position and turn roughly 90 degrees. To execute this, you must position your right knee in front of the brisket, the sheep's right foreleg between your knees, and its left side exposed. The sheep's left hind leg's wool should then be sheared.
Then, to better reach the sheep's tail, move your right leg back a few inches. You must set up the shears so that the comb enters the wool at the top of the tail. Once or twice, blow along the backbone from the top of the tail up until you feel relief.
Change Position Again and Shear the Chest, Neck & Chin
Holding the sheep's body firmly between your knees, place your right foot between its hind legs and your left foot at the base of its spine. Grab the sheep by the chin with your left hand and pull its head backward.
As you strike the sheep, move the clippers from the brisket towards the neck, finishing just below the chin. Continue to strike the sheep's neck in lengthy, parallel strokes along the left side. Hold the sheep's ear back with your left hand to prevent nicking it.
Left Shoulder Shearing
You can move your weight and move your sheep a little to get a closer look at its left shoulder. Because the skin on the shoulders can be quite wrinkly, use your left hand to pull it taut.
Using one or two blows to shear the wool, shear upward towards the sheep's left shoulder from her left knee. You can take advantage of this time to remove the wool off the inside of the sheep's left foreleg.
Change Position Again & Shear the Back
Once the sheep is lying on its right side, you can advance into the next position by sliding it down along your shin. You must maintain your left foot beneath your sheep's shoulder and your right foot between her hind legs.
This stance is for making extended blows that travel the length of the sheep's back. Place the shears at the sheep's tail and give a long, straight blow. Keep the blow parallel to the sheep's spine as you deliver it to the head.
Once the entire left side of the sheep is free of wool, keep making these blows along the back until you have gone one blow past the backbone.
Change Position Again for Shearing the Right Side
For shearing along the right side of the sheep, you must once more adjust the sheep shearing position. The fifth and last slot is this one. To stand straight with the sheep's nose in between your knees, you must rotate your right leg.
Next, shear the animal's head, neck, and shoulders down the right side. To accomplish all of these, you will need to employ 3 or 4 separate blows. Once the neck and shoulder have been sheared and cleaned of wool, shear the wool off the right foreleg. After that, strike the sheep's flank repeatedly in a diagonal motion to remove the wool from this side.
Then Shear the Right Leg & Hindquarter
This is the final process, where you shear the wool from the sheep's right leg and its hindquarters. Move your right foot slightly forward.
This is necessary so that you may reach the sheep's right flank and press firmly with your left hand. The sheep will be forced to maintain a straight leg by doing this.
Shear the sheep in a curving motion from its flank to its right hind leg. Once the leg is free, deliver the last few strikes to remove the remaining wool off the animal's hindquarters.
Skirt & Roll the Fleece
After the sheep have been sheared, the fleece has to be skirted and rolled. Skirting entails removing any unimportant or 'incidental' wool.
Lay the fleece flesh-side down on a flat surface, such as a table, so that the wool may be skirted around it. The fleece should be evenly spread out to create a single layer.
Then take off any soiled or contaminated wool from the fleece's outer edges. Remove any tags, matted wool, or wool that is discoloured. You can roll the fleece after skirting. The fleece can be rolled from one end to the other by folding the long edges in towards the centre. The roll may now be transported simply for sale.
Using the right shearing equipment is as important as the process of shearing. You can check out shearquantity.com to learn more about shearing tools and accessories. Go to our blogs for the latest news on sheep shearing.
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