It's a Wrap! Shearing Day 2025

Hello dear readers!

Thanks for stopping by for the post shearing round-up!

Welcome to the new folks, the sheep are up for cuddles during the return of winter, after getting a false spring and snow and another false spring this week before another storm next weekend.

I apologize for the delay in getting this out to you. I have sat at the computer trying to write this a dozen times and the words were just not flowing this week.

Another shearing day is done and over! This is the biggest day of our farming season. The day we get to see what the sheep created over the past year. They work so hard on their wool!

We got everyone in the barn with our corral panel alley without incident. Always a good feeling to get done. Only Mr Leo decided that this wasn’t happening once he saw where he was supposed to go. I managed to snag him before he got back down the alley. He was not amused with me to say the least. Taking him away from his girlfriend, Miss Brandy horse, always makes him mad.

Moving into the barn for shearing!

We did have one mishap over the first night. It looks like Miss Putt Putt, the elder lady of the flock at 15 and the last of my original 3 sheep got hit by someone. When we have to put them into a smaller containment area they tend to push around for a bit before figuring out their space.

My best guess is someone wacked her on the left side of the head pretty hard. It looks like her ear cartilage was broken and she took a shot to the eye. Her left ear is hanging down and she has some swelling and injury to the eye. We are following eye injury protocol from our vet of long-acting antibiotics, anti-inflammatory meds, and antibiotic eye ointment. She is eating and drinking well but seems much more subdued.

We will keep treating her until she is healed back up.

Shearing day!!!

An amazing and awesome crew was here to help. A few new folks joined in this time around and they learned new tasks quickly. Everything flowed along quite smoothly.

Our two shearers are da bomb! A husband/wife team from a bit east of here, and this is the second year to have them shear for us. I truly adore them. They are so good with the sheep and how they handle the fleeces knowing that I sell them to hand spinners.

Folks started to arrive around 9, and we sat around talking and doing a bit of snacking prior to the arrival of the shearers. It was good to see old friends and meet new ones.

Once the shearers arrived then the day really began. The skirting table got set up, tarps out, shearing equipment moved in, shearing floor in place, garbage cans for packing fleeces set out, bags in place, and we found the broom. Also, med bags were on the table ready in case we needed them.

Michael and Codi got the job of catching the sheep, removing coats, and feeding them to us to get to the correct shearer.

Kim and I brought sheep to and from the shearers.

Jan sprayed any knicks with antiseptic.

Susan was in charge of paperwork and kid entertainment.

Sherry and Marilyn grabbed up the bits the shearers tossed off and swept the floors between sheep.

Laurette took charge of the skirting and packing of fleeces with Anna and Deanna as her crew. She was also teaching them since they were new to our program. Skirting is the process of removing the parts of the fleece that are less than desirable for spinning. These are the bits that contain urine, poop, and lots of hay chaff. The fleece is also checked for the soundness of the staple. Sometimes the fiber can be weak and break.

Working at the skirting table

We took a break at the half way mark and went in for a snack, drinks and potty break. Laurette and I put together a charcutier board in the morning, and we also had fruit, scones, cookies, brownies, coffee, water, juice, and a prob a few other things I’m forgetting at the moment.

We finished about 4pm, broke down equipment, fed and watered the sheep, closed up the barn and headed to the house.

It was taco bar and adult beverage time!

The food was so good after all the hard work everyone put in for the day. I forgot to take pictures of all of it.

I am so grateful for all the help this year. It makes a huge difference in how the day goes to have so many hands to share the load. The energy, laughing, and having fun in the barn keeps things moving along like clockwork.

Now I’m on to fixing their coats before we vaccinate them, trim feet, and put coats back on. They will stay in the barn until the weather evens out a bit more. Another possible round of snow and rain coming in again at the end of this week.

They have adapted to their new body temperature without all that wool on them. Keeping them dry and out of the wind is a good thing for now. Yes, I baby my sheep. That’s one reason why they produce such spectacular wool every year.

I’m looking forward to getting my hands into the fleeces and start the picking process prior to selling them. All that lovely wool makes me drool!!

FLEECE!

Thank you for stopping by!

Blessed Be!

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Thank you so very much to Judith W and Chris M for you for buying me a coffee last week. I am grateful for your blessings and support. Thank you.

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