Little Bo Boop Posted May 1, 2009 Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 OMG, I'm sitting here sweating like a pig or would that be like a H1N1 ;-) after shearing one of the Karakul ewes. I can't imagine doing a whole flock in a day...or doing it for a living, yikes, thats got to be hard on the back (kind of like a horse shoer) I took Julie P's advice and just put a halter on them and did them standing. I put them in my stock trailer, which made it easier to control them. I was pleasantly surprised that my big horse clippers worked fantastic on the wool sheep. I'd used them to shear my hair sheep, but didn't know how they would do on that thick wool. Plus for a novice shearer, I think they're safer, than the sheep clippers, not much chance of cutting a throat with them. Well, off to tackle number two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ImWithAlice Posted May 1, 2009 Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 I recently heard a radio broadcast on NPR about the top shearers from Australian and New Zealand who travel the world shearing sheep. They said that they can do 300+ sheep in a day. The record was somewhere near 600. I nearly fainted just thinking about it and I've never attempted to shear a sheep! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted May 1, 2009 Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 When I shear, I figured that at the going rate of around $2/sheep, I'd be living below the poverty level because I'm so slooooow. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Bo Boop Posted May 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 Wow, and I was thinking I'd be poor at the going rate around here, which is $4 a head. It took me about 20-30 min. a head? The second two went a little quicker, especially since they stood better. My blades finally crapped out on the last one though, sure does dull them quick. Boy, there sure isn't much to these gals without their wool, they looked pretty fair sized with all that hair, now they look tiny. They acutually now look like poodles, as I left their top knots ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted May 1, 2009 Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 Oh, I was talking about the going rate for large flocks. We pay $5/head since we don't have a hundred sheep or more. Karakuls definitely look different after shearing! My horned yearling ram looks very much like a goat at the moment. Speaking of shearing, I just picked up a yearling BFL ram at the MD Sheep and Wool Festival last night. He's a big fellow, with one of the softest fleeces I've ever touched. I was planning to take him over to my shearer today (I'm staying at a friend's house up in northern VA) but dang if it didn't rain last night, so no easy shearing for me. Now I'll have to do it myself. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca, Irena Farm Posted May 1, 2009 Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 Let me know before you do it Julie - I want to see what a shearling BFL fleece looks like in person. Then I will stand and giggle while you shear him. Ha - just kidding of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurae Posted May 1, 2009 Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 BFL...BFL...? Bluefaced Leicester? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soda-pop Posted May 1, 2009 Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 BFL...BFL...?Bluefaced Leicester? Big Freaking Lamb. HA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurae Posted May 1, 2009 Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fosher Posted May 2, 2009 Report Share Posted May 2, 2009 World record for ewes is well over 800 now. I think the women's record is over 600. On world record attempts, the sheep are bellied and crutched, so it's a little bit different. In actual production shearing, I've never heard of a tally over 400, but over 300 is pretty common. There's a young woman up the road from me who travels to NZ every year, and she shears over 300 a day there. Last I knew her personal best was something like 350. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted May 3, 2009 Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 Becca, What are you doing next weekend? I have to shear him ASAP as he'll completely wilt in the NC heat. And if we can get Laura there, then we can have video documentation of the whole process for everyone's enjoyment (I've already had a videotaping request from someone looking for some cheap laughs). Oh yeah, and since you've become the blade shearing queen I wouldn't want to deprive you of the opportunity to strut your stuff! This ram and the four ewes have never been worked by dogs and don't want to come near a human. They just laughed at me when I showed up to get them Thursday night and said, "Well, they're halter broke, right?" It will be interesting tomorrow trying to get them on the trailer for the trip home (they've been staying in Cathy F's round pen for the past couple of days--not the best sort of place for catching sheep!). The NCC mules are very much like border cheviots in reactivity (what fun). I've taken Twist in twice to dog-break them a bit and they actually started moving off her today instead of all charging over to her to see what she was (the only dogs they've seen are LGDs).... And fortunately, only the ram needs shearing. Laura, He's a blue-faced leicester. And Soda, I would have supplied a different word for the "f." And I always swore I didn't want big sheep that I had to catch and turn by myself. He better make me some purdy mules (and not kill my dorset and karakul rams, who will look like pipsqueaks beside him, even though they're all the same age).... J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carson Crazies Posted May 3, 2009 Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 Becca,What are you doing next weekend? I have to shear him ASAP as he'll completely wilt in the NC heat. And if we can get Laura there, then we can have video documentation of the whole process for everyone's enjoyment (I've already had a videotaping request from someone looking for some cheap laughs). Oh yeah, and since you've become the blade shearing queen I wouldn't want to deprive you of the opportunity to strut your stuff! I can already see how this is going to go. Count me in. Tell Cheap Laughs that I'm sure we'll have quite the video for everyone's viewing pleasure. Bo Peep - I'm feeling your pain, really. Hand shearing is even more fun. Lets see, with Julie and I together we were averaging - what, 20 mins per sheep - just to crutch a few years ago? Hah! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted May 3, 2009 Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 Laura, Cheap Laughs specifically requested you as videographer because of the priceless commentary that goes with it! lol! Now, I gotta go try and catch some wild sheep, get them on the trailer, and hope I can pull it up the hill out of the pasture in the mud and pouring rain. What fun. Cathy may have a permanent new flock whether she wants them or not. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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