A few issues ago, maybe as long as a year ago, someone reviewed a video that taught how to shear sheep. The reviewer gave it very good marks, and I think it sold for $39.

Anyone know the name of the video and how I can purchase it?

At the time I read the article I didn't care, but now I have sheep and they will be sheared soon! I'd like to try to do it myself.

Thanks for any help you can give me.

Suzy Beggin

-- Suzy Beggin (SuzyBeggin@CS.Com), March 02, 2001

Answers

Try Mid-States (1) 800-835-9665. I remember when I bought my shears they had a video. Also, see if Pipestone might have it 800-658-2523

Let me tell you shearing is very hard, the first time we tried I thought we were butchering the poor thing. Take your time, and the trick I have found is wash the sheep before shearing. Its a big help!

-- Debbie (bwolcott@cwis.net), March 02, 2001.

How DOES one wash a sheep? And how long does it take one to dry? I'd think they'd have to be dry before beginning to shear . . .

-- Joy F (So.Central Wisconsin) (CatFlunky@excite.com), March 02, 2001.

We tried shearing our sheep last year, and will never do it again! We had watched the profesionals for years, always asked lots of questions about what they were doing, and read all about it, so we thought it would be easy once we got the hang of it. Anyway, it took us hours for each animal, we cut them up and traumatized them and we dulled the blades so much that the sharpening cost was more than it would have cost to pay a shearer. We decided that we didn't have enough animals to ever get enough practice to be good at it. We returned the shears, fortunately got a refund, and will gladly pay the $3 per sheep in the future.

-- David C (fleece@eritter.net), March 02, 2001.

I'm looking in my January 2001 issue of The Shepherd on page 7. There is an ad for several Sheep videos including one for Shearing. It is called Shearing Techniques - Learn how to shear with this training video. Covers in detail the art of shearing. 100 mins. Price $29.99 plus $5 for shipping/handling. Contact Rural Route Videos 1-800-823-7703 website is www.ruralroutevideos.com

I know I have seen other ads but this is the only one I could find without digging through the pile of magazines.

-- JoAnn (jonehls@excite.com), March 02, 2001.

I think I'll buy that video myself. It is next to impossible to find a shearer in OK. How to wash a sheep. Our sheep are halter broke sort of. Anyway they are not afraid of us and we tie them to the fence and just wash them with water and shampoo. Wouldn't do it in the cold weather but when I shear in April, May it is pretty warm here. After washing, we squeeze out the water and towel dry then my husband built a shearing stand and we bought a head stand from Mid States. You put the sheep on the stand and their head is locked in place (takes two people to shear this way) then shear. We take a couple weekend and do them all about a half an hour a piece for the shearing, not including the washing. OK. is mostly show sheep so we were taught by the show people. I do realize you can probably get someone for a few buck a piece and just a few minutes per sheep to do, which is the way to go, but not in my area.

-- Debbie (bwolcott@cwis.net), March 04, 2001.

Suzy if you don't get that video and you want to do them yourself I will try to give you a word picture. This is the 'sheep on it's bum, method'.

Use a suitable surface, a wooden floor is ideal, not concrete. If you have to do it outdoors cover the ground with a tarp and get a big sheet of plywood to do the business on.

Start with the sheep sitting on her butt and resting between your knees.

What you will do first is cut off all the wood except the good fleece. Belly wool comes off first, start from the brisket and work down, don't forget her udder! When doing her belly be careful not to cut her, remember it is the wrinkles that get cut so don't let her slouch too much. Push her forward with your knees so that she is as upright as possible and the skin unwrinkled.

You probably want to keep the belly wool separate so throw it to one side, depending upon breed and your skill you might have got the belly wool off in a sort of mini-fleece.

Now clean up the area between her hind legs and around to her rear end, of course she will need to slump down a bit to get these areas up off the floor. Don't cut any of those special bits she has down there!

All her underside should be clean now.

Roll her a bit to the right so that you can reach the outside of her left rear leg. Shear up her leg aiming for her back bone and continue over until you reach the area you did around her tail.

Now stand up and if she needs it trim the insides of the front legs. This complete all the non-fleece wool so have your assistant get busy with the broom and clear that all to one side.

If she has a wooly face do that next. Now take a deep breath and starting from the brisket cut right up to her chin. Try to lean her back over your left thigh to get a clear run, remember it is the wringles that get cut so straighten her out as best you can. Do a couple of cuts towards the left side of her neck and the fleece will begin to fall away. Continue until you have her left shoulder clear right up to her left ear. Now gently let her down onto her back and starting from the area you cleared on her left hind leg shear up towards her head. Make continuous cuts the full length of the sheep slowly rolling her towards you and until you have her spine clear.

Move your right foot over her hind legs and with your left hand on her head slowly lift her up. Starting from the back of her head shear around towards the throat area. You are shearing at right angles to her back bone. Continue down, do her right shoulder, her right side, all the time gently part lifting part rolling & pushing her head back between your legs, soon you will down to her hind leg with the last bit being beside her tail. She will readily jump to her feet and disappear between your legs!

If you have done the job properly her fleece will be in one piece like a blanket and because you cleared the floor after doing the underside there is nothing to do but pick it up and put it in the sack.

Remember, move the sheeps' body so that you are not cutting a wrinkled area.

The aim of the exercise is to harvest the wool, not to make a pretty sheep. So don't do any second cuts, it just spoils the wool and destroys your skill. What you leave this year you will get next, besides, shearing is hard enough without doing each sheep twice!

Try not to hold the sheeps legs it just gives her something to kick against. Unfortunately some sheep, maybe 1 or 2 in a hundred are incorrigable 'kickers'.

I have never used hand shears but I understand the sequence is about the same.

There is a thread in the archive about sharpening hand shears, also information on shearing machinery.

All our family had to learn to shear, apparently to impressn just how hard it is so that we would put our best efforts into our studies!

It is hard work but not impossible and obviously a young, fit person with a supple body has an advantage.

John

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