Author Topic: YAY, happy ewes!! (Read 3899 times)

pikilily · « **on:** June 04, 2011, 09:55:02 am »

The ewes were just puggled with the heat yesterday! But they didnt know i had a wee treat in store for them. Mr Nairns the sheep shearer came last night - today the ewes are energetic and comfortable enough to play and graze. .....ok its cooler today anyway!!

i am so releived - cant stand seeing the sheep wilting with heat stress!
Emma T

jaykay · « **Reply #1 on:** June 04, 2011, 10:07:09 am »

Nice Emma

Wish we could get ours sheared. Round here no-one does them before the end of July, so the poor things swelter all summer $:-\$ also, was going to ask next door's farm boy to do them again, but he's been in a road accident and quite badly hurt. So apart from being worried about him, he won't be shearing this year i don't think.

SingingShearer · « **Reply #2 on:** June 04, 2011, 03:59:22 pm »

Hi Emma,

Good to hear that you have had your sheep done I thought that I must be the only shearer working this year

.

Jaykay,

How many sheep do you have? If you are still struggling to find a shearer by the 9th of July then I could help you out as I have a free day then and I am planning to get to the Lakeland Shears this year to see what the competition is like, I have been thinking of entering for a while. If I do come, you will probably be on my way past. Other than that, if there is anyone else struggling in the same area then maybe I could make a day up there towards the end of June.

Thanks,
Philip

jaykay · « **Reply #3 on:** June 05, 2011, 08:44:41 am »

Hi Philip, thank you for the offer

We have just 14 Rough Fells to shear this year. If I can't persuade someone here to break with tradition and shear a bit earlier, I might come back to you

ellisr · « **Reply #4 on:** June 05, 2011, 05:54:58 pm »

Mine were sheared today and I know what you mean abbout the change they are springing around like lambs

pikilily · « **Reply #5 on:** June 05, 2011, 08:12:29 pm »

can anyone give a justifiable reason for shearing in July and august??? Surely the ewes benefit from getting their fleeces off for the summer and having sufficient growth for the begining of winter.....or am i missing something?
Emma T

SingingShearer · « **Reply #6 on:** June 05, 2011, 09:36:08 pm »

Hi Emma,

Some people shear in July because of their area, Scotland is later then Devon due to the fact that in the high hills of Scotland there can still be a keen frost in may whereas Devon warms up earlier.

Also there are only a few shearers shearing the whole of the British flock so it is inevitable that some people get left until later in the season, I shear some sheep in august and then again in April as the fleece if left to grow for a full year gets too much for the sheep.

Hope this answers your question,
Thanks,
Philip

Rosemary · « **Reply #7 on:** June 05, 2011, 09:39:17 pm »

Is that Garry Nairns? He's doing mine, if it is.

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #8 on:** June 06, 2011, 12:16:57 pm »

Quote from: pikilily on June 05, 2011, 08:12:29 pm

can anyone give a justifiable reason for shearing in July and august??? Surely the ewes benefit from getting their fleeces off for the summer and having sufficient growth for the begining of winter.....or am i missing something?
Emma T

Hi Emma. As Philip says, it's about region and climate. And the sheep know - shearers talk about them being ready and the wool 'rising' - maybe Philip can give us a bit more detail but it's to do with when the clippers will glide along the skin under the fleece, they almost shear themselves. It's harder work for man and sheep to clip them earlier than this.

On my previous farm we were in the Northumbrian hills and the sheep were ready second half of July. Here, less than 5 miles away but much lower down, we clip end May to mid June depending on the weather. (You can't clip and don't need or want to when it's raining on them!)

SingingShearer · « **Reply #9 on:** June 06, 2011, 04:43:11 pm »

Hi,

The Rise is when the lanolin has become liquid and the fleece itself has started to part from the new growth, some sheep rise very early and some don't seem to rise at all.

Hope this makes sense,
Thanks,
Philip

pikilily · « **Reply #10 on:** June 06, 2011, 08:40:09 pm »

got the rise, yep mine were rising from begining of May.
Yes Rosemary, it was Gary Nairns who did them. Happy chap !! job well done!! Even Happier sheep LOL
Emma T