Sheep Shearing Done ... Finally!

What Is Going On In Here?

Snow White can't believe what she's seeing!   Not only was she intently observing the sheep shearing, she had to sniff the sheep to figure out what happened.   We had to postpone the original shearing date a week ago.  Our shearer Don injured his knee and called at 7:30 AM Sunday morning to cancel the appointment.  We weren't sure when we could reschedule, so it was "pins & needles" for most of the week.  We ended up shearing the first 26 ewes on Sunday and finishing the last 20 ewes on Tuesday.   It's great to be finished for another year.

Wild Rose Farm Ewes Waiting In Full Fleece

Our shearer has around 200 sheep of his own, so he arrives mid-morning after completing chores on his own farm.  Right before we start shearing, the ewes are crowded close together to make it easier to catch them.

Wild Rose Farm Ewe #129 Being Sheared

As the ewes are sheared, we bag the fleeces individually and make notes on fleece quality for every ewe.  In the case of the yearling ewes being sheared for the first time, we also take a 2" square wool sample, label it, and pack it to be sent to a testing lab for micron testing.

Wild Rose Farm Ewe #129 - A Nice Fleece!

Last but not least, we even got Snow White a "barrel clip" ... meaning that she got the traditional llama clipping pattern.  Kudos again to RA-DAR Farm where Snow White was raised & shown.  She stood quietly in the paddock held by her halter & lead rope and was no trouble to clip.  Yea!