We were so lucky to schedule Beth to come and shear on the last day of this long run of good weather! And just in time: all the sheep were happy to be relieved of their heavy fleeces, and there were a few health issues, including two cases of fly strike, to be addressed. Because of all the fresh grass our sheep had been eating, shearing took about 4 hours. Most of them were very messy in the behind and required cleaning up by hand before the shears could be deployed. It was great to see Beth and she was very impressed with our strong, big, healthy lambs.
![Here they are, ready [sort of] for their haircuts.](https://wetlandwool.com/files/2013/05/shearing-day-1.jpg)
The older ewes remember the experience of shearing and find it easier to relax. The ram, raised with lots of contact in preparation for the show ring, is relatively easy to handle despite his size. We try to get through shearing without injury to man or beast, but it isn’t easy. Two of the three people and a couple of sheep lost blood.
In the end we have 11 wonderful fleeces that will keep us busy for an entire year and our sheep are relieved of a very heavy load [10 pounds or more] just in time for summer.
