Not Renting Land Anymore And Where Are The Sheep...

Something I've been putting off writing is how last year, towards the end of the summer, I sold the sheep.

Removing gates and other bits from the rented field

I've been feeling guilty about not blogging about it but also I've not been sure what to write.

Not A Sheep Shearer!

When you keep sheep they're always at the back of your mind. Its a feeling I'd liken to when I was at school and you always had homework due, there always seems like something to do!

This time of year is no exception. Even after a good lambing there are still no end of things to think about.

Sheep Shearing - Last Week

It's been a busy week so I've got a bit of catching up to do. 

On Monday I spoke to my neighbour, Ken, about getting the sheep sheared, as it was getting warmer and like every Shepard I was getting worried about fly strike and my animals over heating. 

He phoned back within a few minutes, the guys we used last year were busy but his friend was getting back into after 18 years as he had a young lad to train. 

I came back from work (I was only working in the village luckily) and set to getting set up.

It wasn't long until we had the sheep penned up and everything in the right place. 

I had the easy job of keeping the smaller feeder pen full of sheep to make it easier for the shearer to pull the next sheep out for shearing. 

The lad he was training was keen to learn the skill and really cared about the animals, he felt really guilty if he cut one but as I kept saying to him it's inevitable as they move about so much. They have a tough skin and even the pros cut sheep from time to time, we make sure that we treat any cuts straight away so they heal fast. I'm just glad there are some new people learning to shear sheep as it's the last thing I want to learn or do! 

The kids thought that shearing was great full. Alistair didn't really know what to make of it all, but I liked getting him in the pen with me - gotta start them young with stock! 

The girls liked it as well. There was a little pen right next to the sheep so they could safely get close to the action and see what was going on. 

So at the end of the evening and a few beers shared round to cool down from a hot and close June day, I had a flock of bald and happy sheep. You could see that they were so much happier now they could keep a little cooler. 

Anyone else who keeps sheep had theirs sheared yet?

Now who want to buy some wool?

Sheep Shearing

I had a phone call on Saturday, the shearers were coming in a few hours. 

Not much notice but I didn't want to miss my opportunity with the hot weather we're due next week.

They arrived in force, four of them and a big trailer that folded out into a outdoor shearing station. 

 We rounded them up on foot and then sorted out the lambs from the ewes. My job was to keep the sheep pushed up the race down the middle so they could grab a sheep when they wanted, pretty easy compared to shearing them! I didn't have anyone there to wrap the fleases as I didn't have much notice they were coming, so they each had to roll their own and put it in the wool bags. 

Four on shearing

Shearing begins

Baa!

  They were quick, with four shearing 32 ewes it didn't take very long. They did moan and said that some weren't quite ready to shear as the wool wasn't coming off very easy. I think it's because the second lot of sheep I bought had been shawn in the autumn so their wool wasn't as thick as the others. I have to remember that these guys are farmers and have to moan about something. I'd much rather have the wool of the ewes so at least I can see if any have any problems with maggots in the next few weeks.

Lambs seperate from the ewes. A good opportunity to run them through the foot bath.

One of the two bags of wool

Unfortunately my girls were off with my wife at the mothering laws so they missed it all, but I'm sure they'll be many other times in the future they'll be able to help out! 

Now all I have to do is book in taking in the wool to the wool board and then wait a few months to see if the wool has covered the cost of shearing the sheep. Hopefully I should break even, not including my time.