The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Pixie on May 29, 2013, 09:59:47 pm
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So i was wondering how easy it is to shear sheep myself with hand shears?The thing is i only have three so it doesn't really matter if it takes me a while!I was given a number for a local shearer who only deals with small flocks who when i rang went straight to answerphone and now i appear to have lost the number completely ( i am an unorganized nightmare) so it's made me think more about doing it myself especially as they are quite tame. :sheep:
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It is easy, and especially with just 3 to do. Stick the radio on, pick your least favourite as the first victim and have fun. Ok the first one might end up with cornrows as a hairstyle but that really doesn't matter, it's the welfare thing of getting the fleece off that matters. Just try not to (as I did) let the ewe go before you cut the last bit off, it's jolly hard to recapture them when the fleece is bouncing along behind them and they feel all Nordic and nude :-DD
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where abouts are u
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As long as you go steady and slow its easy. Just remember not to pull the fleece with your free hand (or your helper) or you will cut the ewe. There is a clear line where the lanolin has risen and if you use that as the guide it will help. I find tying up or have someone hold the ewe and start from either end I roll the fleece up as I go.
I have cheated last year or two and used the singing shearer but manage to do a couple myself. I started hand shearing then bought shears. I will be selling mine as too big for my hands. Lister Laser with interchangeable head as I used for horse as well.
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I hand shear my shetlands, only have a small flock so i take my time and find it quite enjoyable although painful as i have arthritis.
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I've never tried hand shearing, but I can shear them for you depending where you are.
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yes - as scots girl - I got singing shearer to show me last year and intend to just amble my way through them one by one this year (but may cop out if philip is in the area!) - did first last weekend (her fleece was starting to 'peel' off, it was so 'risen' - but others aren't ready yet. It is hard work when you don't know what you're doing, but very satisfying.
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Hi thanks for the replys :) i'm sorry it's taken me so long to get back in touch but life took over for a while!I'm glad that everyone feels it is a farely simple matter.I just have hand shears that you would use for dagging.I got in touch with our shearer who has asked me to take mine to be sheared with a friends when he gives her a date (although he said he hadn't yet started) it is alot of work to take them over there to be sheared and i am relying on te fact that the only person who drives the van will be able to be here for that date,i have got them in the shed at the mo aswell as i had lots of jobs to do on them so it might make sense to just do them before letting them loose.How do you tell that the lanolin has risen?I am on the pembrokeshire/carmarthenshire border.
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If the lanolin has risen you will see the old wool further out and then a little new clean sparkling wool next to the skin and in between a tide mark of yellow sticky oily stuff. That's the rise mark and if you cut to that, you won't go far wrong. As soon as its clear of the skin, get shearing! Don't leave it long after that, as the flies will start to cause fly strike.
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If the lanolin has risen you will see the old wool further out and then a little new clean sparkling wool next to the skin and in between a tide mark of yellow sticky oily stuff. That's the rise mark and if you cut to that, you won't go far wrong. As soon as its clear of the skin, get shearing! Don't leave it long after that, as the flies will start to cause fly strike.
Silly question here...is it the lanolin that the flies are attracted to? I painstakingly dagged my flocks bums and they were clean, came back from holiday and one of them has flystrike around his sides and back. Singing shearer is coming here this afternoon but I've obviously hand sheared this one and popped some maggot oil on until Philip has finished him off properly. I assumed the flies went for dirty wool mainly so was a bit disappointed that this one, clean as he is, has been hit.
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May I ask if anyone knows a shearer who would shear my 4 sheep in the Staffordshire area. I'm not brace enough to do it until I've watched someone!!! They are small ouessant sheep. Appreciate any recommendations
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If you are shearing your own, have fun. The one piece of advice that can give is make sure your shears are sharp! It will be a long struggle with blunt kit.
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Poppy - the Singing SHearer travels the UK and fits in small flocks. he's a member on here or google him. He's coming to my house in a bit, I'll perhaps remember to mention you to him to check out this thread and see if he's free. I can't rate him highly enough, he's brilliant.
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Many thanks plums I had contacted him previously however is fully booked until July if I can't find anyone I may need to attempt myself they are pretty bare underneath looks as though its the fleece on top and legs - hope they're not vain because I don't know what their haircut will look like!! Lol
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He's really busy right now, I think all the rain has pushed all his shearing back a month :( I half sheared one of mine with his flystrike, took a while but it wasn't too hard - good luck!
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Get yourself something comfy to sit on - a bale of hay or straw is handy as it won't tip over like a stool (but wrap it in a tarp so as not to get any bits on the fleece). Grab yer sheep, tip it up, sit yourself down on the bale with the sheep between your legs. And then start - belly first.
You will find it much easier doing it sat down, and you can always stand up when you need to or lean the sheep up against the bale if it wriggles.
For your first time don't worry about getting it off in one piece like the pro's do, just concentrate on the cutting. :) And take your time. And don't do it in the full sun or else you'll be dripping in sweat in no time! (but do it somewhere where you have good light so that you can see what you are doing) :)
And if your sheep won't co-operate, you can always just do the underside, neck and "edges" whilst the sheep is tipped up, and then stand it up (tie it up with a halter) and cut the top whilst the sheep is standing. Again the bale is useful here, you can have the sheep up along side a gate or something and the bale on the other side of the sheep for you to sit/kneel on, and it helps keep the sheep contained.
Keep the skin taught with your other hand and don't pull the wool, and you should be able to do it all without cutting the sheep :D.
You will get away with using dagging shears to begin with but they might make you hand hurt quicker. Try to get yourself some "double-bow" shears that are a bit longer and they will be easier to squeeze.
Good luck :)