We had a lovely, relaxed, mellow Christmas period on the farm and, as the new year chimed in, farm work swung abruptly from zero to full speed.
George Graham arrived before light on 2 January; he and John Quigley had every sheep in the shed shorn by the time darkness set in.
To the non-farming person it seems a bit strange, and I do get quizzical looks from my friends as to why you would remove a sheep’s wool mid-winter. I always explain in simple terms – with the wool removed the sheep increase their nutrient intake and as a result should have bigger and healthier lambs. They are housed so they won’t get cold and they are protected from the elements. Without their coats they are more comfortable in the pen together and are cleaner for lambing, plus it is easier to assess their condition.
Getting organised
Organisation and efficiency were key components in shearing several hundred sheep. Michael and the dogs emptied one pen at a time into the top end of the passageway. The bundle of 20 or so sheep were gradually put into the catching crate where they were caught, shorn and released into the bottom end of the passageway to be enclosed into another pen.
The catching crate really caught my eye (excuse the pun) – it is a clever time-saving device with a simple design. It held a small number of sheep who entered through a gate at one end and, as it was so small, George or John could easily catch a sheep and pull her out through either of two side gates into the passageway to shear.
Once shorn, the surprised animal was released into the bottom end of the passageway to contemplate her reduced weight and what had just happened!
George has been doing this shearing business for a long time and he is very fast taking off a fleece – he is a champion shearer after all. John is no slouch either, and the day went by in a steady rhythm of woolly to shorn, with breaks only for food and tea.
Michael and Dylan rolled up each fleece and packed them into giant wool bags, to be sold for a price that only just covers the cost of shearing.
Keen shearer
Nelly and I were surplus to requirements once the team were fed. But we did pop down to the sheep shed in the afternoon so Nelly could see and understand all about the sheep being shorn.
George is very good with children and, although Nelly is only three, he was keen to show her how it was done.
While he securely held the ewe, he demonstrated how the ewe was shorn and gave Nelly some wool to feel.
Then he turned off the shears and encouraged her to hold it against the ewe’s flank, giving Nelly the impression she was actually shearing the sheep.
Despite being a little bit shy initially, she was thrilled with herself and very keen to go back and “shear” more sheep, even proclaiming that “when I growed up, I will be a sheep shearer”, which made me smile. There are worse ambitions to aspire to and we are so lucky and fortunate to show her farming ways and have this little farmer in our life.
Read more
Welcoming a new year on Waterfall Farm
Waterfall Farm: Blackberries and first aid
Lamb carousel provokes fury on Twitter
We had a lovely, relaxed, mellow Christmas period on the farm and, as the new year chimed in, farm work swung abruptly from zero to full speed.
George Graham arrived before light on 2 January; he and John Quigley had every sheep in the shed shorn by the time darkness set in.
To the non-farming person it seems a bit strange, and I do get quizzical looks from my friends as to why you would remove a sheep’s wool mid-winter. I always explain in simple terms – with the wool removed the sheep increase their nutrient intake and as a result should have bigger and healthier lambs. They are housed so they won’t get cold and they are protected from the elements. Without their coats they are more comfortable in the pen together and are cleaner for lambing, plus it is easier to assess their condition.
Getting organised
Organisation and efficiency were key components in shearing several hundred sheep. Michael and the dogs emptied one pen at a time into the top end of the passageway. The bundle of 20 or so sheep were gradually put into the catching crate where they were caught, shorn and released into the bottom end of the passageway to be enclosed into another pen.
The catching crate really caught my eye (excuse the pun) – it is a clever time-saving device with a simple design. It held a small number of sheep who entered through a gate at one end and, as it was so small, George or John could easily catch a sheep and pull her out through either of two side gates into the passageway to shear.
Once shorn, the surprised animal was released into the bottom end of the passageway to contemplate her reduced weight and what had just happened!
George has been doing this shearing business for a long time and he is very fast taking off a fleece – he is a champion shearer after all. John is no slouch either, and the day went by in a steady rhythm of woolly to shorn, with breaks only for food and tea.
Michael and Dylan rolled up each fleece and packed them into giant wool bags, to be sold for a price that only just covers the cost of shearing.
Keen shearer
Nelly and I were surplus to requirements once the team were fed. But we did pop down to the sheep shed in the afternoon so Nelly could see and understand all about the sheep being shorn.
George is very good with children and, although Nelly is only three, he was keen to show her how it was done.
While he securely held the ewe, he demonstrated how the ewe was shorn and gave Nelly some wool to feel.
Then he turned off the shears and encouraged her to hold it against the ewe’s flank, giving Nelly the impression she was actually shearing the sheep.
Despite being a little bit shy initially, she was thrilled with herself and very keen to go back and “shear” more sheep, even proclaiming that “when I growed up, I will be a sheep shearer”, which made me smile. There are worse ambitions to aspire to and we are so lucky and fortunate to show her farming ways and have this little farmer in our life.
Read more
Welcoming a new year on Waterfall Farm
Waterfall Farm: Blackberries and first aid
Lamb carousel provokes fury on Twitter
SHARING OPTIONS