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| My favorite winter ensemble. Carharts', flannel and sheep! |
Sheep shearing is very physical and exhausting, perfect ground for developing all manner of injuries from repetitive motions and spending so much time bent fully over in a position that at first, I didn't think was humanly possible.
There are many ways to shear a sheep and many types of equipment.
But there is only one right way to do the job.
Cornell Shearing School was instrumental in providing much of the hands-on supervised instruction that is a confidence builder, and I enjoyed the first weekend session so much that I attended again the following year.
During the two day course, we learned about caring for and setting up our equipment, how to catch and rump a sheep ( set it on its butt ) and most importantly, how to hold said sheep with your legs while your two hands are completely involved in the shearing process. This technique takes some getting used to and relies on both the shearers' position and taking advantage of the animals own weight and natural instincts.
There is a pattern to follow in shearing a sheep, endorsed by the New Zealand Wool Board, and originally developed by Godfrey Bowen.
It took me 100 sheep before I felt like I could begin to tackle the animal from memory of the shearing pattern. For many shearings, I kept my pages of instructions within reach, often stopping to refer to them for the next step.
The main reason for shearing is to obtain the valuable wool, but there are health considerations that necessitate shearing as well. One of these is the incidence of "fly strike" where the wool around the tail area becomes laden with feces. During warm months flies lay eggs that hatch into larvae and proceed to eat the flesh of the sheep. In worst cases the sheep can die. This is easily avoided by shearing in a timely fashion. Usually once a year, in the spring.
Fleeces differ in size depending on the sheep breed, and can range from 2 - 4 pounds from a Shetland or Baby Doll Southdown, to 12 - 14 pounds for a Merino, Hampshire or Corriedale.
Because of the rigorous nature of shearing, many people take a different approach and use everything from kitchen Fiskars, to small hand held dog clippers trimming and shearing while the sheep stands on its feet, usually contentedly munching on hay.
While this process can take longer it is much kinder to the person doing the shearing and depending on the nature of the sheep, can be enjoyable for it too.
In my experience, ( at this time I've shorn 500 + sheep, not a lot but enough to have an educated opinion about the process ) I think it is vitally important to clean the belly and underside of the sheep. This is best done when access and the ability to clearly see the area is achieved while the sheep is on its butt. From that position the rest of the shearing process is a natural progression of movements, much like a dance, that allows the shearer to stay balanced, minimize exertion, keep the sheep relaxed and facilitate getting the fleece off often in one piece, making it much easier to skirt.
It takes me just about 12 minutes to remove a fleece. In the 365 days of the year, one 12 minute session isn't a big deal for the sheep, leaves them cool, clean and lighter, and allows me to get on with the rest of the flock in a speedy manner. Then I can dive into all that glorious raw fleece!
Doug can remove an entire fleece in five minutes or less - so, while the sheep may look uncomfortable, it only stays in one position for about 20 - 40 seconds before it is moved into a different position. The process allows the sheep to be totally relaxed. If it struggles then the shearer repositions until it is comfortable. Can't shear a struggling sheep!
Dough Rathke
Internationally acclaimed, award winning sheep shearer and instructor.
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