Preparation

In order for the shearer to do an efficient job, the sheep owner must prepare and put things in order.

PREPARE FOR SHEARING with everything ready BEFORE WE ARRIVE Animals caught, board laid out, electricity run etc. If you have questions about which area will be best for our shearing station, you are welcome to text or email pictures of the possibilities and we will let you know.

Sheep.  Catch  your sheep in a small pen 10 x 10 or smaller the night before and hold off feed and water.

We don’t have time to wait while you try to catch sheep out in the field  and it is not our job to catch your sheep, though sometimes we will help just to get the job done.  Please expect to pay for this extra service ($75 per hour).  If the sheep are unable to be caught we will still expect to be paid our minimum fee for showing up.

Catch pens and Rounding Up. If you do not already have a small pen set up, you will need to start preparing for shearing a few weeks ahead by building a small pen and training the sheep to enter it with feed in the evenings. A small pen or corral means that the sheep are closely packed together and cannot run from the shearer when they are being caught. A pen that is too large causes stress to the sheep as they will run around and over heat easily.  It is useful to have a larger pen that is set up with a gate or livestock panel , so the sheep are comfortble overnight, but can be pressed into a smaller space for ease of catching during the actual shearing.

Shearing Site. A shearing area should be set up near the pen where the sheep are caught. It needs to be flat, in the shade and have access to power via 3 prong plug. A 4 x 8 plywood board should be provided as the shearing floor. Shearing is brutal work and we will not shear in the sun.  Power and board should be set up prior to our arrival.  If power cannot be made available we need to know ahead of time.  We do have our own generator but do not always travel with it.

Feed. The sheep should be held off food and water the night before and the morning prior to shearing. For pregnant ewes, just that morning. A full belly makes it difficult for the sheep to breath while they are in the shearing positions and they will panic and struggle as they try to breathe, this is very stressful for them and slows down the shearing process for all of us.

Wool. Wool handling is not part of our service. Be prepared with a helper to clear wool from the shearing board after each sheep and have a rake or broom on hand to help with this process. If you plan to keep your wool, please have large extra strength contractor bags or similar on hand for bagging your wool and please expect to help with this process or provide a helper.