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| Shearing
Shearing Sheep | Getting the sheep seated
Shearing can be stressful to sheep – make no mistake about it. Stress in sheep releases a cortisone-like hormone that goes through their bloodstream. These hormones reduce their ability to fight off infection and, for pregnant sheep, may cause abortion. So the simpler you make the process for you and the sheep, the better.
Depending on how many you have to shear, it might be a good idea to make your catch area smaller with pens or hinged panels. You can crowd a small group together and send them out through a sorting chute when you’re ready for each one. There are many available plans online and offline for this, and a little creativity and improvisation always helps. Of course, if there are a very small number to do, you can always try catching them by the flank or under the jaw, but be careful never to pull a sheep by it’s wool – it will bruise the carcass.
When catching sheep, there’s no need to treat them roughly. And don’t plop the sheep on its tailbone. It’s painful.
There are many ways to “set the sheep up,” and this is just one of them. Sheep are easiest to control when their feet aren’t touching the ground and their nose is pointed upward. Balance and surprise play a big part in catching and setting the sheep up. Find one in the pen with its head down in a natural state.
Stand directly behind the sheep with one foot on either side of its hind end. Put your preferred hand under the jaw and neck and pull the sheep’s head up. This will raise the sheep’s fore end off the floor. Quickly walk backward while holding the sheep at a 45-degree angle on its hind legs. In its attempt to sit, it will move its hind legs and walk of its own accord to where you’d like to put it in position.
Press your free hand into the sheep’s back leg just below the hocks. Pull the sheep’s fore end backward, toward you, while reaching down with your right hand to pull its back left leg forward (or away from you) so it can lean on its right hip. This puts the sheep into position on its dock.
Shearing the sheep
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Shearing
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