[Shire1980]

Hi, with the fresh grass coming through my suffolk hoggs back ends have got very dirty.
I've tried clipping them but i'm scared i cut them open and also tried using hand shears but its just too thick to cut through.
Has anyone got any advice or do i just keep an eye on them until the shearer arrives in the middle of june?.

[landroverroy]

Get your hand shears sharpened, or buy a new decent pair, and persevere!
There'll potentially be a lot of maggots available between now and June.

[twizzel]

Get a pair of Jakoti shears they will cut through anything (but be warned, very sharp)

[SallyintNorth]

Be more scared of what will happen if you don't tidy them up.

Tips for nervous newbies :

• cut wool, not poo - as far as you can, and definitely whenever you are anywhere near skin level
• do not pull the poo away from the skin and then cut, you are likely to 'tent' the skin and end up cutting the skin this way
• just keep snipping away at the edges of the dirty patch, where you can see the wool you are cutting.  If your blade is flat against the skin, you will not nick them.  You can use scissors if it makes you less nervous
• blades need to be sharp, and will be blunted by cutting poo - which is another reason for aiming to cut wool not poo
• the scissor type of shears will be bent out of alignment by cutting poo rather than wool, so may need fairly major readjustment if you do end up cutting poo
• you are allowed to use warm soapy water to soften hard bits - but rinse well afterwards so that you can see clean wool when you are cutting
• you are also allowed to pull poo off with you hands, scrape it off with the back of the blades, anything that works
• it's always better to trim wet stuff off as soon as you can - but if you just can't get it all off safely, they'll have grown a little more wool in a couple of weeks, which means you will be able to get underneath poo you couldn't get underneath before (but leaving wet poo on them really will attract flies, so please try not to have to leave any)

Agree that Jakoti's are ace at staying sharp and not getting bent out of alignment.  I find I like to have a pair of short dagging shears (or even thin scissors) as well, because the Jakoti's are quite thick so sometimes the thinner blades can get under soiled wool where I can't get the Jakotis safely.

[Shire1980]

Thanks i'll try again tonight with scissors.i was using brand new Nettex hand shears,won't be buying them again i'd be as well trying to cut through it with a piece of wood.
And i nicked one of their legs trying to get it with my electric shears. If i can't get it off tonight i'll ask the shearer if he could maybe come tidy them up asap.

[Shire1980]

Definitely a job for a professional tried again and failed (leg cut open)its too thick and close to the skin.
I think next year calls for a better wormer than Supaverm.

[twizzel]

It could just be the grass... some of my ewes have become dirty behind despite best efforts to crutch, but they are on good lush ryegrass that's growing like a rocket. Suffolks are known for being dirty behind...    would be worth getting a pair of jakoti shears though... they are the bees knees for crutching and only about £25. Maybe FEC next time before and after worming so you know the wormer has worked (and don't use a combined wormer like Supaverm unless you really need to, use a narrow spectrum wormer and a separate flukicide if needs be).

[SuffolkK]

I was in exactly the same dilema last year. I have invested in a battery operated pair of clippers - they are not cheap but for me have been essential. I crutched 6 suffolk ewe lambs at the weekend in 30 mins using them. They also had very mucky back ends, but I find the clippers can be placed close to the skin and then they just clip through the wool. I brought mine from masterclip and can totally recommend them

[ShroppySheep]

Just do a tiny bit at a time!
My sheep are fairly tame and use to me spending a while dragging them.

We’ve had two fly struck sheep on their tails already this year so definitely get it tidied up!

[bj_cardiff]

I've been clipping horses for years and as hard as I could I just couldn't get the knack of clipping sheep, so I sold my electric hand held shears! The hand held 'traditional' once I couldn't get the hang of either.. Nothing seems to cut through wet poo - which is what I needed..

I get someone to hold the ewe and get a pair of pound shop scissors and put a pair of gloves on and get snipping. Unpleasant job but works well

[shep53]

Jakoti will cut wet or even hard dried crap . But you should be cutting the wool under the crap

[daveh]

Any make of dagging shears will do. You just need to learn how to sharpen them.

Regards, Dave

[landroverroy]

Any make of dagging shears will do. You just need to learn how to sharpen them.

Regards, Dave

I have been shown how to sharpen them. That's not the problem! But I can't set the angle right after so they don't then cut properly. Fortunately I have a local retired farmer who does them perfectly for me.

[Foobar]

[member=6533]landroverroy[/member] - Burgon & Ball make a pocket sharpener which will give you the correct angle, which is handy for keeping them in tip-top shape.

[landroverroy]

[member=6533]landroverroy[/member] - Burgon & Ball make a pocket sharpener which will give you the correct angle, which is handy for keeping them in tip-top shape.

Oh great. Thanks Foobar!