Sheep Shearing

Spring has come which means the sheep are getting a haircut! Last Friday, we sheared the sheep by first flipping it and then using an electric razor to get rid of the wool. The wool will be sent to a processing place where it will be spun into wool products. Shearing is done in the spring so the sheep do not overheat in the sun. A long fleece is also likely to become dirty and get dragged along the ground, which may result in flystrike. Flystrike is when green bottle flies lay their eggs on the animal, and the eggs hatch within hours. These eggs turn into maggots and eat the flesh of the sheep and release dangerous toxins. Without fleece, the sheep will have more mobility. In hot weather when the sheep have more fleece they will have heat stress.