[Jacob-list] winter shearing

[Meg Steensland]

In central OH, I do not get the shearing done until end-of Mar or so, middle of lambing or near the end.
 
A guy nearby, Glenn High with Shrops and Targhees says he shears in Dec when they go in the barn.  His son Roger is the Ohio Sheep Improvement Assoc. leader in OH and Glenn is in his 70's.  Another fellow Larry with Montadales does not get to it until June or July some years.and his cousin is the guy I call to shear mine.
 
There should be a Sheep Improvement assoc in your state of maybe FSA that can advise also.
 
Feb here is the worst and so unpredictable.  Mar is starting to get decent again.  Right now we still have Nov and it is snowy, wet and crummy, but not bitter cold yet.

--- On Tue, 11/25/08, Linda <patchworkfibers at alltel.net> wrote:

From: Linda <patchworkfibers at alltel.net>
Subject: [Jacob-list] winter shearing
To: "Jacob-list" <Jacob-list at jacobsheep.com>
Date: Tuesday, November 25, 2008, 8:23 PM





I really like to shear before lambing, although we don't always manage it.  We usually lamb in mid to late March and shear the first or second week of March. This year, we staggered breeding and will have lambs coming in February through April, with a break the first week of March (hopefully :-)


I'm in northern Georgia, where we don't have the bitter cold temps of further north. It can be below freezing for a few days, though, and ice storms are not unusual in January and February. Our shelter is fairly basic - a 30' by 16' three sided barn. It's backed into a bank and has a low ceiling, so does retain some heat, but is not "toasty".  The rams are in the woods with a tarp barn.
 
For those of you that will be shearing this fall or winter, how cold can be it be before you worry about shearing? What sort of shelter do you provide?  Is it perhaps better to shear two months before lambing if you manage to get a good day for it? I'm wondering about shearing in December. 
 
Thanks for any advice.
 
Linda
 

http://www.patchworkfibers.com
Registered Jacob Sheep, Handspun Yarn  

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