[SallyintNorth]

Uh... not seeing any horns so no Swaley?

I suspect they're mules or thereabouts.  Lovely friendly creatures.  Not sure I think they're big enough to be more than shearlings - born spring 2012 - though?  So maybe they are only carrying their lambs' wool which should have come off this summer?  In which case, in your spot  , it won't kill them to keep it on until spring.

Are you planning to tup them?

[sokel]

Hi Sally the swaley def has horns, will try and get a picture.
They are supposedly 2012 bottle reared lambs 
You know what kind of weather we get up here and I am concerned about taking it off at this time of year if it will do them no harm leaving it on.
As for tupping, would be nice if we could to get some lambs for the freezer but TBH they are just glorified pets 

[SallyintNorth]

I think, given your location and that they've only missed one clip (albeit their first clip and therefore a big one), I would leave them untupped and unclipped this year, then clip them and tup them next year.  Just watch out for them getting cast - stuck on their backs - with that weight of wool, and clip them as soon as is practicable in the spring.

[JulieWall]

They look fine and cosy to me.
Better warn you though as it hasn't been mentioned yet, hand shearing is easy when the wool is risen and there is a nice break to shear in but clipping through wool in the middle of the lock is not such an easy task, especially if you have no experience. Any shearer will tell you that even shearing with electric shears is a pain in the bum before the wool is risen. It's a bit like trying to cut steak with a butter knife, lol.
If you really feel you must take some of the wool off now, test your skills out on a small area and see how hard/easy it is, do they need dagging? if so that would be a good place to start.
Personally I would leave them until next year as they're not overly deep in wool and don't look at risk of becoming cast easily.

[sokel]

Never sheared a sheep myself  but plenty of experience clipping horses out and clipped dogs all of my life, I am going on the theory they cant be much harder to do than an old English sheepdog that has been badly neglected coat wise  and never seen a set of clippers , at least a sheep wont bite like a big dog 

[JulieWall]

  have you seen that specsavers ad, lol.

[sokel]

Yes seen it 

[sokel]

I forgot about this thread, I decided to hand clip about 2 thirds of the coat off so that they do still have a good covering to stay warm and they are in the field at home with access too a stable with deep straw bed in bad weather if they need it 

[MelRice]

Mine look like that with just one years wool!

[sokel]

Mine look like that with just one years wool!

The picture didn't really show the depth of the wool before I clipped it there was 10 inches depth