Chamelin Shearing

Different shearers might give you different advice in this regard but most of it focuses on a few key issues. You need to keep your sheep dry, you need to keep them empty and you need to get them in a confined space.

First off, most clippers will not cut through wool properly if the wool is wet, that includes a heavey dew or mist. If the wool gets wet all the way through you end up with more second cuts and the lanolin in the wool becomes thicker (lanolin is like wax, when it is warm its liquid and lubricating for the clippers, when it is cold it is a solid and it becomes an obstacle to get through) slowing down the whole process. To prevent this problem it is best to put your sheep inside the night before the shearer comes. A fully enclosed barn is best because with three sided barns sheep just love hanging out at the opening and will never fail to get rained on. Also by getting them in they tend to sleep together which generates heat, helping to loosen up the lanolin in their wool some more. This will really help the shearer out so the smaller the space you can get them in the better.

Second is to keep your sheep empty. This is one of the most difficult things for people to do but you really should refrain from feeding your animals for about 12 hours before the shearing. This helps the shearer in that they are not lugging around the extra weight of feed in the sheep (and if you have a lot of sheep it adds up quickly) and it helps the sheep in that being moved around on a full stomach can be uncomfortable and add to their stress. Please do everyone a favor and feed them that night when you get them in and then ignore their cries for help the next morning as best you can. They will thank you in the long run!

Lastly you need to make sure the sheep are confined BEFORE the shearer gets to your farm. This is essential!!! Sheep know when something is up and will avoid all attempts to get them into a pen on shearing morning. What happens is the owner typically trys to rush the animals into the pen and that never works with sheep. Then you end up trying to feed them to convince them that they want to go into the pen which violates rule number two. Then what ultimately happens is that you end up chasing your sheep which is the worst thing you can do because it stresses them out and over heats them right before they are sheared and that is a recipie for disaster! Please don't assume that your sheep know you and always come when called because I will guarentee you that the morning of the shearing you will be the one with the communication problem! Get your sheep in the night before and save everyone the headache:)

One other thing that I need to point out and it is a mistake I saw a lot this year is that people love to bed down their barn the night before I come out to shear. This is a big mistake because the loose bedding will just stick to the sheep and cause a lot of unnecessary contamination of your wool clip. The other issue I found is that people like to bed down their sheep with wood chips. This is also a bad idea for the same reasons. Wood chips stick to the wool and your wool will not be accepted to a wool pool with chips present. Please don't use them or if you must, don't use them before your shearer is coming.

This question might seem silly since shearers are a rare enough commodity but getting a good shearer is essential to having a good shearing experience and making this aspect of sheep raising something to be enjoyed and looked forward to instead of dreaded! Look for someone who has experience shearing in regards to the number of years they have worked and the number of animals worked on. Less experienced people tend to quit while they are ahead and it will save you the stress of lots of cuts if you look for someone who has been around for a while.

Look for someone who has good feedback from their clients and don't be afraid to ask for references! These are your animals that are being put on the line and it is your fiber that is at stake so make sure you have someone working on it that you would trust with your own hair. Know that mistakes do happen and cuts are just a part of the job but they should be limited and minimal.

Look for a shearer who is constantly working to improve their skills. I go to at least one shearing school a year and am always looking for new opportunities to learn from the best. There is always more to learn and by finding someone who is activly striving to improve their work, you can be confidant in who you have hired.

Lastly, don't just go with the most expensive person out there! Lots of established shearers over charge on their show up fees. Don't feel like you need to pay $100 for 2 animals to be sure you are getting the best job. Ask around. There are lots of websites and organizations around that can help you find a reliable quality shearer that is within your budget.

When I show up at your farm to shear for you there are 3 things I ask of every owner. First is that I don't like hauling around extenstion cords because they are messy and I never know how much I will need so please have a reliable extension cord availible.

I will need an area that is flat and preferably near the holding pen. This is the area that I will shear in. If you can sweep it or limit the amount of bedding you have nearby to limit contamination. And if there are any other hazards around that the animals might hurt themselves on or I might end up in please move them.

The final thingI ask of my owners is to have them penned up. I went over this in the first question but I will say it again...have your animals penned up before the shearer comes. This way I can come in set up in 5 min and we can be on our way!  Also some additional things you might want to have on hand are bags to store your wool and any extra medical supplies you feel you will need on hand.

As far as what I provide to the shearing experience I bring all my own clippers and blades. I use an Heiniger shearing motor with an Arizona Thin blade and AAA cutters. These I have found, are the best all around blades and really limit cuts. I also bring a rubber mat to shear on although if you want to you can supply a board, clean stretch of concrete, carpet, or even a tarp but tarps have a tendancy to get bunched and torn. The rubber mat is easy to disinfect and provides both cushion and grip for me and the animals so if that suits you I always have it with me.  I also bring along my own hoof trimmers if you need that done.

The earlier the better! I start getting inquiries in January so feel free to start emailing your shearer then to get on the schedule, especially if you have a specific date in mind. Lots of people want animals sheared before lambing or before shows and the earlier you plan ahead the better chance you have of getting in that date. Weekends especially can fill up quick so the rule of thumb is always sooner rather then later. I am a shearer that will work with you and really strive to get flocks in within a week of calling if at all possible but once major shearing starts thats not always a guarentee.

Yes!! I love helping others learn about sheep and shearing and any chance to share it with others is great. I have done demos for several girl scout troups, a high school and seveal learning farms as well as doing demos for the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival so I have my talk worked out and love to answer questions. If you would like to have this done please contact me and I can work out the details with you. I can even supply the sheep if needed.

This is a big one, especially in this day and age. All of the equipment that I use is disinfected between every farm I go to. My mat is sprayed down, my clippers are sprayed in an alcohol base disinfectent and my overalls are changed and washed. I take every precaution to limit exposure between farms and hope that you too take measures to keep your animals healthy and safe. If you have any additional requirements of me as your shearer I will do whatever I can to see that your animals are safe and you are comfortable. I also welcome additional questions about this to help ease peoples minds.

At this point I will shear any breed of sheep and have been luckey enough to shear quite a variety of breeds over the years. If you are worried about my handling of a specific breed then just email me but here is a short list of some of the more common breeds I have handled!
Hampshire, Suffolk, Southdown, Babyface Southdown, Leister Longwool, Border Leister, Karakul, Cotswold, Jacob, Dorset, Cheviot, Icelandic, Shetland, Shropshire, Montadale, Romney, Scottish Blackface, Merino, Texel, Tunis, Coopworth, Finnsheep, and Gulf Coast among many others and many mixes in between!

Shearing of large sheep and by large I mean over 250 pounds is pretty straight forward. I can do it one of two ways. I either lay them down and shear one side completely and then roll them over and do the other side or I attempt to shear them standing up. Both methods typically require an extra hand to help hold the animal but both are pretty low stress and gets the job done.