Change Of Shearing Plans!

What The Well Dressed Shearers Are Wearing!

We got 25 of 46 sheep sheared yesterday with temps in the mid-40's.  We mutually decided to reschedule the rest for next week after this cold front passes.  The shearing machine is still hanging from the nail in the rafters and the board + carpet are leaning against the wall.  Click to enlarge & notice the footwear repair with sheep duct tape! :)  Our shearer does not wear felt booties like some do when shearing.

Wild Rose Farm - Another Nice Fleece Comes Off!

Once again, all of the fleeces are recorded, evaluated, bagged, & tagged as they are being sheared. With just 2 of us to help catch, sweep, bag, and move fleeces, we don't have time or room to set up a skirting table. I usually have a couple of bags of belly wool, dirty top knots, tags, & hay filled neck wool that I've pulled off as we are shearing. One of the ewes was sick last year and so there was one fleece with "wool break" that will end up in the tag pile at the wool pool.

Wild Rose Farm Fleeces "Bagged & Tagged" ...

Rambouillet ewe #422 with a 19.9 micron test produced a nice spinning fleece that we will sample for the Virginia guild project.  Once again, Rambouillet ewe #410 has another great show fleece - look for this one again at the Waynesburg Sheep & Fiber Fest Fleece Show in May!

A Glimpse Of Wild Rose Farm Rambouillet Ewe #410 Coming To A Show Near You! 

As they were sheared, the hungry ewes were released to pasture. They ran around munching until we finished, cleaned up, and then opened up the barn paddock gates to them again.  A sudden downpour sent them running back up to the barn where we closed them inside ... but not before some sheepy confusion about where they were supposed to go.  Typical sheep!

Bright White Sheep Flock Back To The Barn

  Yep, they ran past the open paddock gate and stood outside where they had been penned for shearing.  :)

A Bucket Of Grain Calls Them Back To The Gate Behind The Barn ... 

Snow White & the full fleeced ewes were sent back to the Loafing Shed to wait until next week.