My four new sheep have arrived and they seem very nonchalant about their new home, but I am excited! It is hot though and they do look a bit uncomfortable. I don't think they were sheared in spring. Should I shear them now or wait until next spring?

Any other Icelandic owners out there?

-- R. (thor610@yahoo.com), September 02, 2000

Answers

Where do you live ? Its cold here today . I would love it if you keep us updated on them as I too would someday like to buy some .

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), September 02, 2000.

When we had Coridale sheep we had to sheer them in the fall for breeding, they said they wouldn't breed if too hot. And they won't get pregnant if too fat under all that wool. We had to sheer in the spring too, but not the babies, just did their tails. Congradulations! I just saw some in the Magazine yesterday!!

-- Cindy in KY (solidrockranch@msn.com), September 02, 2000.

Congrats! How exciting for ewe! Depending on where you are, you might consider shearing in fall. Keeps the barn drier if you live where it's wet in the winter. If it's real cold where you are, follow local tradition, certainly, but if you shear now, they'll have a small fleece to get them through winter ok. Best of luck to you, and I will watch for your posts, too!

-- sheepish (rborgo@gte.net), September 02, 2000.

Don't know where you are, weatherwise, or the ages of your new arrivals. We are in New York and have a few Romneys among our flock, a longer wooled breed. Their first year, I shear them in August or early September. They seem to grow better than ones not sheared. After the first year, everyone gets sheared just in spring. Kate

-- Kate Henderson (sheeplady@catskill.net), September 02, 2000.

Thanks everyone for your answers. I live in NE IN and the weather here after a cool summer is turning hot and sticky with some cool foggy nights. Right now the big Kruse car auction is happening in Auburn and I stay away from there during this weekend due to traffic congestion. So after the holiday I will go into town to the coop and get some info on sheep shearers around here and maybe some other sheep owners who can give me the lowdown on local sheep care.

By the way, are any of you hand spinners? I have an Ashford Traveller, but I have always purchased rolags to spin. Now I am going to try from the raw wool. I have never done that before. Don't know what I am getting into. Already I have tried washing a raw fleece and it just does not seem to want to come clean. What do I do?

-- R. (thor610@yahoo.com), September 03, 2000.

R, I use a herbal dog shampoo on every thing I spin. I put a fleece gently into my washing machine with a little dog shampoo, let it fill with lukewarm water but DONT LET IT AGITATE,soak over night, drain and refill with cold water, let soak a couple hours then put on spin cycle [no agitation] and dry on towels or clean screen. If fleece is very fine wash by hand and press in towels to get out water, Never agitate wet fleece [ by hand or machine]or you end up with felt.hope this helps

-- kathy h (saddlebronc@msn.com), September 03, 2000.

Greetings!

I'm a spinner with a flock of Corriedales and Suffolks with some Finn and Romney blood mixed in. I wash my wool in three buckets in the bathtub. Fill the first one with the hottest water you can get, add a big squeeze of Dawn dishwashing liquid. Push wool down into the bucket until it feels full and put a cover on the bucket. Fill the next bucket and do the same thing. Then go away and set a timer for fifteen minutes or so. When it goes off, fill the empty third bucket with hot water and a squeeze of detergent, uncover the first bucket and pull out double handfulls of wool, let them drain and drop them into the clean soapy water. I dump the first wash water on the compost heap, I don't want that in my septic tank. Fill the now empty bucket with hot water and soap and shift the second bucket's contents the same way. It usually takes me two or three of these washes until the wool is clean and the water is nearly clear. Then I do two rinses the same way.

Take the soggy wool in a bucket to your washing machine and spin out the water, then spread it out on an old screen across two sawhorses. I do it on the front porch where it is protected from the wind and sun. Pick through the wool a few times as it is drying - pull it gently apart so that the air can circulate around it. Then when it is dry you can prepare it for spinning!

If you want more information just ask... I don't want to bore anyone so I'll stop here.

Karen

-- Karen Raymond (KRWizWork@yahoo.com), September 03, 2000.

R., how are your sheep doing? Did you shear them? (Or get them sheared?) I just found this thread, and wanted to tell you that my friend in Alaska sheared her sheep in the fall (August, there!). They had grown back an inch or two before snow flew (the end of September!), and did just fine. How do you like your Icelandics now that you've had them for a few weeks? I'm hoping to get some next year, so any input would be helpful!

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), October 23, 2000.