I look forward to...and dread...shearing day. The dread part is all the preparation for the "big day". Two days worth of....no...actually, I have to start earlier than that. The sheep need to be in the shed at one time...this involves rubber feed tubs and getting them to come to the shed...going inside then shutting the gate. Of course food is the big 'carrot'. Since their diet mostly consists of hay, the grain and beet pulp is a treat and that is an incentive to come to the shed....the trick is getting them all in the shed at one time. This takes at least a week of tricking. FUN !!! Then I need to assemble the panels...un-assembled...inside the shed. If they come to the shed for their treats and find panels set up inside...they will never come inside.....soooo. The day before shearing, they come inside...I shut the main gate...[trapped now!!!]....they eat , rest awhile then I set up the panels. An hour before shearing, they are moved to one side of the shed...more panels...finally...the shearer arrives, sets up and 3 hours later...it's all done...THAT'S the part I look forward to...being finished, the wool bagged, the panels taken down and into the sofa to collapse.
This year went exceptionally well...a great new shearer...he took the unwanted wool...how good does it get !!! This year, my recovery time was a bit longer than usual...time has that effect...but it's done and now I can contact my wool ladies and get the fleece shipped out.
Another Spring...Another shearing
The next sunny day, I'll be taking some pix of the 'naked sheep' for my next post
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