[Jacob-list] Shearing ??

[Cathy Robinson]

To those of you who shear early:  How do your sheep shear at an early 
shearing date?

We sheared about a week and a half ago.  Our shearer really likes 
shearing them better in April....he says they shear cleaner, fleeces 
come off easier, and the sheep end up with a more even shear.  Some of 
the fleeces were difficult to get through when we did ours in mid-March 
and those sheep look a little rough cut as result.  

Do you notice this when you shear early, or just ignore it?

We had a cold front with strong winds move through the day after 
shearing.  A couple of girls were shivering...the few with little fat 
reserve. Most of the sheep did seek shelter from the wind and slept in a 
tighter group (in/near the shelter) for warmth.  We have an advantage 
here in that the cold weather this time of year is never long-lasting, 
even though we do experience yo-yo temperatures.  After that cold front, 
we were hovering near 80 for several days last week.  Now, snow is 
predicted in nearby locations tonight!

Cathy
Perfect Spot Farm


Susan J Martin wrote:

>We've been shearing here in southeast PA.......on Monday we sheared a
>yearling ewe, thin but not in poor condition and pregnant.   I noticed
>today she is shivering.....it's in the 40's and low 50's and rainy here
>presently, 
>