Shearing Notes

There are many variables here:
• Were the sheep out in a long, soaking rain, or only a shower?
• Are the fleeces dense, or open?
• Are the sheep now lying about in the shade on damp ground, or grazing on a breezy hillside?
• Are a few fleeces going to be separtely put away in open and breathable bags or boxes, or is the wool going to be packed tightly in large wool bags or bales?

Damp fleeces packed tightly will likely mold, even in breathable containment. To check a fleece for wetness, grab a handful of wool along the sheep’s backbone, where the rain will be mostly likely to penetrate. Dry fleece will feel warm. It’s possible for fleeces to be dry for shearing the day following a shower—and they feel very wet to the touch. After a thorough soaking, it may require several days for drying. And several more, if one allows for some grass to return into the fleece.

Wet Fleeces

If a fleece is damp after shearing, is there some way to dry it (short of spreading all the fleeces out in the sun where they may get blown away or defiled by birds)?

The best way to dry a damp fleece is to lay it out on a slatted table (like a skirting table), a piece of wire or plastic fencing or screen door set on saw horses, some way of allowing air to circulate above and below the fleece. The same is true for drying a fleece after washing. If it can only be laid out on the ground, then pick a clean, dry spot out of the sun. Direct sun drives moisture down and leaves the bottom of the fleece wet. And turn the fleece. I recall a handspinner taking a freshly shorn, but damp fleece and deciding to wash it immediately—and so having then to dry it but once!

Wool Noise

I’ve heard stories about wool storage sheds being “haunted”: They were said to be making noises when fresh shorn fleeces are placed in them while the wool is still warm. My question: Can fleeces continue to move and even make noise after shearing?

Wool is quiet. I imagine that even if it moved, it would do so quietly.

Destructive Wire In The Wool

During shearing, one of my sheep had a small piece of wire in its fleece. The shearer needed to change both top and bottom cutting parts on his machine. I couldn’t see any broken off teeth or broken edge on the metal, but I assumed it must have been ruined. Should I have offered to pay for it?

It’s amazing how often sheep will pick up wire into their wool. So it’s likely not the first time your shearer has found wire. Usually it’s not so close to the sheep’s skin as to be encountered first by the shears. Your shearer probably considered this instance as an occupational hazard and not your fault particularly. Shepherds though, should be aware of this problem for shearers, and watch out for odd—sometimes old—bits of wire in the sheep’s environment.

Help Holding

I’m a part-time intern at three farms that all have added sheep recently. Should I be offering to help hold the sheep when they aren’t cooperating and are being “kicky” and the shearer has a hard time holding them still? I don’t want to add to the problem, but would like to volunteer some help if possible.

You can ask your shearer if he or she would like your help, but you can almost certainly expect a “no” answer. A shearer does not so much hold a sheep as cradle its body with his or her legs and feet. When a sheep feels its legs held, or feels resistance against a wall with a hoof, it’s likely to struggle. When its legs are feeling only the air, a sheep is likely to stay passive. There is then little in the way of a place to grab and hold a sheep to keep it still. And they are too strong to be held still by force anyway. An experienced shearer will work through even difficult sheep. An inexperienced shearer having a hard time may be better off being left to work on better technique.

What Materials Make The Best Shearing Floor?

What would be the preferred shearing surface: Plywood, matched planks, or a heavy rug on a smooth surface?

A full piece of plywood, thick enough to be stiff, is preferred by most shearers. The surface allows for easy foot movement, and sufficient traction. It also allows for quick sweeping away of tags and wool “pieces.”