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| Shearing
Shearing Sheep
Regardless of whether a flock is being raised for fibre or meat (or both), sheep need to be shorn before the hot weather sets in to prevent heat stress, skin and fleece problems, and parasitic conditions.
Sheep shearing is a specialized trade and, depending on the number of livestock you own and your level of expertise, this task might be best left to a professional shearer. While you’ll find varying shearing patterns and techniques for different geographic regions, breeds of sheep, and sizes of sheep, there still remain some basic commonalities.
Shearers stay in good physical shape, are familiar with safe stances and holds, use appropriate equipment in clean conditions, and exercise masterful technique with speed and efficiency. It’s important to remember that fleeces are valuable and careless handling can decrease their value significantly. More importantly, inexperience can harm the sheep, as well.
A good shearer takes the whole fleece off in one piece, following the skin closely without making second cuts. They’re also skilled in the aftershearing procedures such as applying antibiotics and fly repellents for any accidentally-inflicted nicks.
If you’d like to learn more about shearing, you may want to go to a two- to three-day seminar in your area to begin honing your skills if your livestock numbers and situtation warrant it. Again, expert shearing comes through mastered technique, which takes a great deal of practice to attain.
How to get the sheep seated
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Shearing
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