Checking it off the list!

We’re having a bit of a party here to celebrate the completion of our earliest spring shearing ever!

 

Well, considering it’s only our second spring shearing, I guess there’s not a lot ot compare to, but seeing as how the weather has been so mild, we decided to go ahead and shear everyone early. This also gave us nicer spring fleeces than we had last year, and it will give the fall fleeces a little more length, which is always a good thing.  And the sheep will be less stressed as things begin to warm up over the next month.  

 

I am happy to report that I have kept all of my fingers intact, and all male and female appendages of the sheep have remained intact as well!

 

See — doesn’t this picture make you cringe!?

 

 

Everyone seems pleased — the sheep as well as our family.  It’s nice to have this all out of the way before the lambs come and before things get busy in the garden!

 

We finished up with the ewes first.  All four mommies-to-be are ready to go now!  

 

 

 

 

 

I kept thinking they looked so large because of their wool, but even without it they are still carrying wide loads! 

 

 

 

Lastly we sheared the rams.  They were all very well behaved, especially Boomer.

 

 

As you can see, he still has his horn bandaged.  We checked the healing process a couple of days ago, and I’m happy to report that the split is healing perfectly, just as if it had been a broken bone!  A couple more weeks and he can have his “cast” taken off.

 

 

All fleeces are for sale.  They have been roughly skirted.  Since the sheep have been eating hay all winter, there will be a bit more vegetative matter in some of them than there would be in the fall, so fleeces will be priced accordingly.

 

Molly and Monty are queen and king of the hay feeders, and since none of the others were tall enough or tough enough to spill breakfast over their backs, their fleeces are the best!