Sunday we started our spring shearing. I did the three white pygora females (no babies yet) Yesterday I did these four white ram lambs who are leaving tomorrow. I'm always stiff and sore when I first start and I wasn't sure I was going to be able to get out of bed this morning.I was ok once I got up and moving. I always think I'm in pretty good shape physically until shearing starts. I have four goats and 25 sheep still to shear. We will be busy for a couple of weeks, as long as the weather cooperates.
More photos in the next post.............off to bed with my book and a muscle relaxer :)
10 comments:
I discovered muscle relaxers last year when I was having one of my "superwoman" moments on the farm:) I admire you for doing your own shearing, that is one of the things on my list of things to learn how to do! Loved the cheese post by the way:)
I guess I'll need to learn to shear sometime. It probably isn't worth paying someone to come out for 3 or 4 sheep.
I haven't bought the fancy shears. Believe-it-or-not I cut Daisy (my one sheep) with scissors. It takes me about 4-5 hours. No kidding. And I throw the wool away. That is just nasty. Wanna talk about an aching back...and fingers! :)
P/S I'd gladly give someone a hundred dollars to cut her, but the time I asked I was told I would have to bathe her first. If I'm going to do that much work I might as well just cut it off.
kristi,
I enjoy shearing - it's been difficult to get a shearer here...they are few and far between and are getting expensive. With the price of gas,who can blame them. I save an enormous amout of money by doing my own. I treat my sheep different than a stranger would as well.....not that anyone was mean, just always in a hurry. I don't like nicks and cuts - not that I don't get a few but definately not as many as any shearer that was ever here.
That flexaril is good stuff :)
christy,
We have a local sheep festival in April. People that have just a few sheep bring them and there is a shearer that will do the whole bunch. The festival is lots of fun and it saves everyone from having to find a shearer or shear their own. Perhaps you could find something like that in your area if you didn't want to shear.
Gayle,
I used to do my pygoras with the fiskar scissors but shearing a sheep with them, YIKES!! What a job - never heard of any shearer wanting you to bathe your sheep but who knows, it takes all kinds! I originally was going to use the hand sheep shears but with 60 sheep, it was going to take me all summer - we decided the electric shears were worth the investment. It's not bad once you get used to them. Good luck this year :)
WOW! Am I ever impressed. You do a great job!
I may try hand shearing a couple of my girls this year but I have no desire to try an electric clipper. I'll pay someone to do that...
That is pretty darn impressive.
Cute little rams too, by the way.
Those ram lambs look polled or half-polled! Are they Shetlands, or crosses?
My farrier charges me $5/head to shear (which he did for a living in his late teens/early twenties and he still does his own "big white" sheep); I'm already paying the trip fee for the horses so I can't complain at all about the cost. Although I HATE it when he nicks one, none of the injuries have been serious. Still, I wish I could do it myself, slowly and carefully, for less blood-letting and fewer second cuts.
I have never sheared, we always had someone come. You are AMAZING!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/
I've given you award that you can come pick up if it strikes your fancy! :)
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