Hi everyone, I was wondering whether any of you shear your own sheep and whether you use hand shears or clippers? If clippers which do you prefer and why? I will be shearing end of march and need to get supplies. You are all so nice.I've asked questions before and I'ts so nice to know others who love animals and this "crazy way of life".thanks,Julie

-- julie (nelson3@bright.net), January 03, 2001

Answers

Hi Julie...there's some shearing info on this thread:

http://hv.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=0033Gt

Also lots more general-type sheep stuff in the archives. I hope you have better luck than I did. I will eventually have to try again though!

-- sheepish (WA) (rborgo@gte.net), January 03, 2001.

Julie: I have used both hand clippers and electric shears on our sheep. Both have their advantages, and some drawbacks. Electric clippers are very fast, but for a woman (me) they are heavy to hold for very long. They can also enable you to cut right through the skin before you know it - usually not real serious but watch out for flies on the cuts if in warm weather. Hand shears allow you to go as slow as you'd like, the sheep just look a little "textured" when finished. I have Oster electric clippers, and they do a good job. Just a note; if you can find a shearing school nearby it is well worth the time to go and be trained in how to shear, how to hold the sheep, how to care for your clippers, etc. Purdue has one every other year in Indiana, maybe there is something similar offered near you. Good luck. Feel free to email us.

-- PLTaylor (bptaylor@ccrtc.com), January 03, 2001.

I am wondering what sort of electric shearing equipment is heavy to hold. Is this some sort of device with the motor and everything in one unit? If so I guess the weight is inevitable.

The 'professional' systems as used in Australia and NZ (and no doubt everywhere else) have a fairly light weight 'handpiece' on a jointed (enclosed) drive shaft. The motor unit of this type of equipment must be mounted at the right height off the floor, about 5 or maybe 6 feet, so that everything is hanging down. Shearing is bloody hard work enough and I imagine near impossible if the equipment is not installed adequately.

Shearing sheep the 'right' way is something you only have to learn once, it is easier for the shearer and kinder to the sheep.

-- John Hill (john@cnd.co.nz), January 03, 2001.

Boy, this question brings back the memories.The first year we had sheep, I decided that we would be shearing them ourselves.( I'm the true homesteader here, hubby wouldn't mind paying somebody ). Because the electric equipment is so expensive, I bought a pair of handshears.And so the adventure began. We only had 2 sheep and it all looks very logical in the books. But sheep are not always as cooperative as you might think, and this was not an easy job. It took me 2 hours to shear one sheep, while my husband was laying on the floor, rolling the poor thing into the positions I wasnted it in, and holding her down. Both of my ewes got their wool cut that year. They looked like they were related to a camel with all the lumps and bumps on them, and I couldn't make any use of the wool.The worst part was, that I ended up cutting them a couple of times, no matter how careful I was. The next year we paid somebody to shear them. Last year a neighbor who has sheep took time out of his busy schedule, and came up to show us how to do it with his electric clippers. My husband had a try at it, and eventually we will do them ourselves again, but till then, we have some more learning to do . Karin

-- karin morey (www.wind_crest@hotmail.com), January 04, 2001.

Hi, thanks everyone for your advice and encouragement. I am determined to learn how this is done,correctly. We have only seven sheep and hubby wouldn't like to pay for something we can do ourselves. I guess I'll start with hand shears as I can live with a bad haircut,but hate the thought of cutting the girls. I have never had the opportunity to be around others who were shearing. the closest was at the county fair,but they were on stands, and just trimming up some.I have the book Raising sheep the modern way so I have seen pictures,but as you all know,there is nothing as valuable as experience,so this spring I aim on getting some!!! Sheepish don't give up on this ifits something you really want to do!! It's taken us many years to get going beyond the sidewalks and I can tell you we are still far behind where we want to be. I'm here 24/7 but hubby must continue working for the insurance. God Bless, Julie

-- julie (nelson3@bright.net), January 04, 2001.

Just a couple of points to consider..

I believe that if the electric equipment is in good order you are much less likely to seriously cut the sheep than using hand shears. The points of the power clippers should not be sharp, run the machine up you arm, if feels sharp then rub the points on a soft wood plank.

Keep the back of the clippers up, don't try to slide the comb along the skin, only the tips should contact.

Doing the job with the sheep in the sitting-on-her-rump position and gently leaning here this way and that will totally eliminate any wrinkles, and the wrinkles are what get cut!

The sheep are less likely to struggle if you don't hold onto their legs, I guess it gives them the feel of something to struggle against!

(Maybe I should give up the software development and go back to the land!)

-- john hill (john@cnd.co.nz), January 05, 2001.

We spent close to 300.00 on shearing equipment last year. The first one we did looked like we were butchering her ourselves! I cried and then God answered my prayers, I received a call from a man who has sheep an hour plus away and was having a professional coming that day to shear his. I loaded up my five sheep and headed out. We then practiced shearing on their 7 babies with lots of luck. This year we can't drag all these sheep to this guys house so we will do it ourselves. It took alot of practice and reading not to cut the poor things. Using lambs is the easliest because of less wool . Also, we found washing the sheep before shearing help alot. Good Luck. Debbie

P.S. How are you marketing your sheep, I will lots to sell this year the the livestock market auction house for sheep is 3 hrs away!

-- Debbie (bwolcott@cwis.net), January 10, 2001.