We Raise Texel and Ramboulet cross sheep. They produce quality meat and have thick fleece. Shearing is usually done six weeks before lambing but this year we had a ram get out with the ewes early, oops. This surprise caught us off guard and the shearing was delayed until after lambing season.
Spring planting also added to the delay. We saved a fleece for a customer's spinners group. She sent us lovely photos of the wool in process of becoming yarn, and the final skeins or hanks, I am not sure the proper term. Anyway, the wool is beautiful and we appreciate her sharing them with us.
Here's how shearing day works...
1. Gather the sheep.
2. Separate the lambs from the ewes
3. Hold your ears or wear ear protection, there's loud complaining amongst the sheep, mostly the lambs. The ewes seem to enjoy the break.
4. Set up the wool sack, which holds around 300 ponds of fleece. (we filled nearly 2 sacks from 34 ewes and 1 ram). The wool sack hangs from a steel frame. Someone in the crew, in our case it was Garrett, has to climb into the bag and pack the fleece.
5. A clean tarp or canvas is laid on the ground to keep the area clean.
5. The sheep are caught. Held loosely while being shorn. Released, naked and clean, to go and eat. When all the sheep are finished they rejoin their lambs. There's peace again, it's so quiet.
6.The wool is weighed, we pay for the shearing, and the wool buyer pays for the fleece. We came out $67.00 dollars ahead this year. On large scale sheep operations, when wool prices are low, the USDA assists with the shearing costs. The current price for wool is high so there isn't any assistance program this year. The shearer is also a wool buyer, representing a wool or fur company. He's paid for his time shearing and also makes a profit from selling the wool.
7. The area is cleaned, shearing items are packed and the day's complete. Happily, one more item is crossed off the "to do" list. The ewe lambs will be shorn this fall.
The Iowa Sheep and Wool Festival is June 9-10, in Adel, Iowa. Here's more information.