This conversation arose in another thread (about ear tagging), when Blacksheep mentioned that Zwartbles are supposed to be clipped in the winter in order for their fleeces to be judgable come the showing season.
I am intrigued by all this so would like to get a conversation going.
Not meaning to be provocative, just thinking out loud... I have mixed feelings about doing cosmetics to sheep which then give rise to welfare issues... Although I suppose show folk are always going to take very good care of their show sheep so I suppose the sheep should be ok....
And the other thought I had was this. Is the fleece any good for spinners? Do you clip again in the summer? Is that then too short for spinners or not?
In Iceland they clip before housing and again in the summer. I guess they don't autumn clip the sheep that winter outside... One day I'll find out, we're plotting a trip to Iceland, maybe next year...
And I've just bought a delicious Teeswater lamb's fleece - I assume the lamb in question will be housed over winter now. I guess there are a lot of places in Britain where a longwool fleece is a hazard in wet. mud, snow, hot ... goodness, when are the poor things actually comfortable?!
I have a gazillion other thoughts in similar vein but will shut up now (for a bit anyway
) to see what anyone else has to say!