Shearing Day!

Mar31
Shearing provided some surprises in exterior versus interior coloration of the fleeces.

Shearing provided some surprises in exterior versus interior coloration of the fleeces.

Shearing day was quite a success! It was warm and sunny and everyone was excited to be outside.  We had over 25 people show up to watch the sheep be parted from their fleeces and consume some tasty Amish cooking.  Brent, our shearer, did a phenomenal job quickly and carefully sheering all 41 animals, ranging from some ~150 pound Icelandic-Gotland crosses to perhaps 40 pound Shetland yearlings.  I was very pleased with the wool harvest from my Babydolls, with the adults averaging over 5 pounds per fleece even after having left the (dirty) belly wool in the scrap heap.

 

 

 

Willy guarding the wool. The bags will be shaded and as soon as possible the dirty and short bits will be removed in a process called skirting and transferred to more breathable bags.

The wool will be shaded and as soon as possible the dirty and short bits will be removed (=”skirting”) and transferred to more breathable bags.

It will take a while to readjust my image of each sheep. We found some new spotting under all that wool.

We found some new spotting under all that wool – a natural heather effect!

Shearing Day Opportunities

Mar27

Plans are in place for the group shearing day this Saturday at the Amish B&B.  Three colors of my Babydoll Southdown rovings from last year’s shearing will be available for purchase: Espresso, Semi-sweet, and Cream at $3/oz.  Raw fleeces will be for sale at $18/lb. for virgin fleeces (Nina and Katie) and $16/lb. for the adults.  I’m pricing my fiber at a slight discount to the Shetland fiber due to general lack of public knowledge of the value of Babydoll wool.  Fresh fleeces and processed wool from both the Shetlands and Icelandic-Gotland sheep will also be for sale.  The sun is forecast to be shining for a great day for an outing!

Ewe Ultrasound Surprises

Mar18

Yesterday’s ultrasounds were very worthwhile. I learned my second 2013 ewe lamb is also expecting, but her mother is not. Note to self… the best stage at which to do ultrasounds is the 50-60 day window (from conception). At that point the fetuses are small enough that the number can also be observed, so multiples can be planned for. The scaling of the learning curve continues!

Ultrasound Scheduled for Ewes

Mar13

Yesterday I scheduled my sheep vet to pay a visit Monday the 17th to do ultrasounds on my ewes. When it works best, it can indicate the presence and numbers of lambs inside the mothers. It might be considered unnecessary, but not knowing the status of my 2013 ewe lambs, especially, could lead to underfeeding and resultant pregnancy toxemia, or over feeding and obesity issues down the line. Besides… I’m hugely curious!

Shearing Open House Date Set

Mar9

A small group of fellow shepherds and myself will be holding a shearing open house on Saturday, March 29th from 10 AM to about 2 PM at the Amish B&B near Canton, MN.  Shetland, Babydoll Southdown, and Icelandic-Gotland cross sheep will be sheared and their fleeces, and rovings, rolags, and wool from last year’s fleeces will be available for sale.  The B&B will be hosting a light lunch ($5) and presenting spinning demonstrations.  I’m embedding a copy of the flyer OPEN HOUSE 2014 Spring Sheep Shearing that contains the details.  If you are interested in where wool starts from, purchasing specific fibers for fiber arts, or trying the wool of various breeds before adding them to you fiber flock, I encourage you to join us.  Maryann is a great cook, so I’m looking forward to the lunch, too!