[GOSfarm]

This is my first year with sheep and having the sheared soon. Can anyone help me with what to expect from the shearer or more like what they will expect...?!
I know wet fleece is a problem and to bring them in if it rains and ideally they shouldn’t be fed before.
Also the shearer will expect them to be penned before they arrive.
Is there anything else I should be prepared for..?
Also what is best to store the wool in?

Having a massive panic about this because some of ours are quite wild (Herdwicks) and sometimes difficult to catch and hate being penned (jump out).

Any tips massively appreciated! Thank you

[twizzel]

Bring them in the night before and don’t feed them, they need to completely empty out before being shorn, they will also be dry then too. Have them penned up relatively tight ready to go for the time your shearer has arranged to come (shed off lambs as they get in the way). Have electric sorted if the shearer needs it (some do, some don’t). Don’t be tempted to help the shearer hold the sheep if it kicks- the clippers are sharp. They will have full control of the sheep. I put my wool in dumpy bags and then give it to a neighbour for mulching his allotment. When s/he is done clipping gather up the wool and move it away from the board. Shearers are busy so anything to make their life easier and the job quicker... and if you find a good reliable shearer be very thankful and very kind to them because finding them for small flocks is notoriously difficult.

[SallyintNorth]

That's clear the wool off the board after each sheep.

If any of the sheep need dagging, that's your job, before the shearer comes.  Cutting dirty wool blunts their clippers.

Being Herdwicks you probably aren't planning on selling the fleeces?  So no need to tell you about skirting and rolling, and how to store for crafters, etc.

Have spare hurdles handy.  Without seeing the shearer's rig we can't advise on the specific layout of pens you'll need.  But as said above, have them ready penned in a small area : the less room they have to move, the harder it is for them to jump out .

Try to keep them and yourself calm; agitated sheep are much harder to handle - for the shearer and for you.

The shearer is vastly experienced and will take it all in his or her stride, so listen to what they tell you and don't worry.   

[ZacB]

Ask the shearer.............