[Oopsiboughtasheep]

Today will be the first time that my 4 sheep have been sheared and the first time that I have had to prepare them for it. Unlike yesterday's lovely weather, it is going to rain today. I can keep them in an empty stable ready for the shearer but he cant give me an exact time that he will get here but said 'late afternoon'. I am wondering therefore, how long it is alright for me to keep them in there with no access to food? They have been out on the grass all night (it is now about 9.30am) but if I give them hay in there, it is going to get in their fleeces. The shearer is taking the fleeces. I will leave water for them of course but would value your advice re the access to food. I don't want to stress them.
Thankyou for your help.

[SallyintNorth]

I assume you've got some straw or something on the floor?  So there'll be some stemmy stuff getting in their fleeces anyway

What they pick up today will easily brush / shake off when you take the fleeces from the shearer; it's more when they've been pulling hay from a rack for months over winter that you get all the seed heads and so on buried deep in the neck wool, being more difficult to remove.

Personally, especially if there's some straw on the ground (which they can pick at if they are really hungry), I wouldn't worry about giving them anything else.  It's better for them to have an empty stomach to be sheared, anyway.

But if you do decide to give them some hay, give only a little, and around midday, so that they aren't stuffed with it when he's bending them up

I bet they don't touch it anyway 

[Oopsiboughtasheep]

Thanks very much Sally,
No! Haven't put straw on the floor as I was worried about that in the fleeces as well. They have only been in for about 15mins, so I will go back out and put some straw down for them straight away. I'm very grateful for your help. Its all a learning curve but I now I will know all this for next year. What a brilliant forum this is!

[Fleecewife]

I agree that they should have empty bellies anyway, so having to shut them in against the rain is perfect.  They will come to no harm without food for a few hours.

Straw shakes out of fleece easily, hay doesn't.

Be prepared to laugh yourself silly when your sheep emerge from their fleece, all skinny and unrecognisable   

[Hellybee]

Oh Oops don't worry the will be fine like the girls have said xx

[Rosemary]

We brought ours in overnight for the shearer first thing, so 10 hours at least with no food. They were fine. They did have water though.

[Oopsiboughtasheep]

Thanks everyone. They seem very settled in the stable. The Ryleland/Texel crosses are absolutely enormous in their fleeces so they are going to look a bit odd afterwards! The Zwartbles are certainly not going to look quite so elegant after their haircut! I've got the digestive biscuits ready as a treat for them once its all over!
Yes, I do realise that's a bit daft but it must be a bit of a shock for them the first time. What am I like?!   

[Me]

I wish more people would starve pre-shearing, it puts so much extra pressure on man and beast to have the full bellies. They can't breath properly and fight the shearer = more cuts, frayed tempers and bad backs! Sounds like you have it under control

[Melmarsh]

It also saves the shearer skidding around on loose poo if they've been out on grass 

[Oopsiboughtasheep]

Thanks everyone. Sheep now sheared and my biggest sheep is now my smallest sheep!