It is important for farmers and owners of small flocks to know when rams and sheep are sheared. These animals are usually raised for their juicy and tasty meat. Any meat breed has wool. For hygienic purposes, it should be cut in early spring and late summer. This is done to increase the productivity of animals and protect them from parasites and infections. Fine-wool sheep with high-quality fine wool are trimmed only once a year (in spring).
When are sheep sheared?
As a rule, small farmers raise sheep for meat, and less often for wool. Regardless of the breed, these animals need to be cut at least once a year. Shearing is a mandatory hygienic procedure for meat sheep. If animals are not trimmed, they will suffer from the heat, will not recover well, and their coat will turn into a breeding ground for parasites and infections.
Trimmed fleece is sold through markets, private procurement enterprises and points, or via the Internet. Gatherers often buy unwashed sheep wool during the shearing season, that is, from spring to early autumn. The price of fleece depends on the breed of sheep. The fine wool of merino animals is most valued. It is used in the knitwear and costume industries.
Semi-fine wool is used for the production of blankets, yarn, and coat fabrics. This is also a valuable product. The cheapest wool is from coarse-haired, that is, meat, breeds.
Sheep are usually sheared in the spring. During the winter, the animals' fur is left to prevent them from freezing from the cold. The timing of haircuts depends not only on the time of year and climate of a particular region, but also on the breed, age and length of the coat. Each owner independently chooses the month and day when he needs to shear his flock.
Grooming times for different breeds:
- fine-fleece or semi-fine-fleece are trimmed once a year (in spring), if the hair length is not less than 4-5 cm, and the age of the animals is not less than one year;
- Fine-fleece and semi-fine-fleece breeds do not shed seasonally; they can be sheared at any time, but it is better closer to summer, when grease accumulates in the fleece and the wool becomes soft;
- coarse-wool and semi-coarse-wool rams are trimmed in the spring, at the beginning of molting, when the wool “tightens” (begins to come off);
- lambs with coarse and semi-coarse wool are allowed to be shorn at 4-5 months of life;
- before the summer months, all representatives of meat coarse-haired breeds must be trimmed, otherwise they will suffer from the heat, recover and grow poorly;
- Since coarse-haired meat breeds grow hair quickly, they can be cut at the end of summer so that the coat has time to grow again before the onset of frost.
When choosing a haircut date, take into account the climatic features of your region. In southern latitudes, animals can be sheared as early as March. In the middle zone, in the Urals, it is better to postpone the haircut schedule to April-May. In northern latitudes, rams and sheep are sheared no earlier than June, just before going out to pasture. True, this applies only to fine-fleece or semi-fine-fleece rocks. Coarse-wooled meat sheep need to be shorn just before molting.
Before starting the procedure, pay attention to the condition of the coat and the amount of grease. After winter, sheep's fleece is usually dry and tough. This type of wool is difficult to trim, it sheds poorly and breaks. It is better to wait until a certain amount of grease accumulates in the fleece, it becomes soft and elastic, and will not tear when shearing.
Required Tools
It is recommended to buy special tools for cutting. Animals are cut with special scissors or using an electric clipper. Tools can be purchased online (in specialty equipment stores). Sheep shears (double in shape) must have a length of at least 27 cm. The blades are made of durable steel. Such a tool costs about 5-20 dollars. Shearing one sheep with scissors takes about 30-60 minutes.
You can buy a manual electric machine. It is similar to the tool that hairdressers usually use. With its help, the animal can be trimmed in 10-30 minutes. The machine costs from 100 to 300 dollars. The price depends on the power of the device.The smaller the herd, the easier it is to choose a machine. This tool allows you to quickly and efficiently cut fur. However, you need to use the machine carefully so as not to catch the protruding parts of the animals’ bodies.
Haircut methods
Sheep are sheared by machine and by hand. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages. The easiest way to shear sheep is by hand using scissors or a machine.
Manual
Owners of a small flock can shear their rams using special scissors. The main thing is that the tool is well sharpened. The coat is also shaved using electric hand clippers. With the manual method you will have to sweat a little. Grooming animals requires physical strength and skill. A newbie out of habit will not be able to trim a ram alone. The animal will struggle and behave restlessly. It is recommended to call someone for help.
Machine
Shearing with an electric clipper makes the shearer's work easier and improves the quality of the wool. This method allows you to cut the fleece closer to the skin and make it smoother. There are special machines for sale for individual use. These tools are easy to use. The main thing is to remember that when cutting a haircut, you cannot go over the same place twice.
When industrially raising sheep, carousel and conveyor systems are used. Shearing of animals with electrical equipment usually takes place in special rooms with the help of well-trained shearers who are capable of shearing several dozen sheep in an hour.
Consideration of animal vulnerability
Sheep and rams of any breed tolerate machine shearing performed by a professional shearer well.A high-quality procedure requires a minimum number of long passes with the machine. Well-fed sheep of meat breeds with dense, smooth, rough skin tolerate the procedure more easily and are less likely to be injured. They are much easier to cut. Thin animals with folded skin have problems cutting their hair. Fine-wool sheep are the hardest to trim. They have many folds on their skin, and they also have horns.
Such animals are sheared slowly, the clippers are used carefully, and the aisles-strips are kept short.
Haircut rules and techniques
Sheep may be sheared indoors, for example outdoors or indoors, on the ground, floor or table. Before shearing, animals are not fed for 24 hours and are not given water for 12 hours. Only dry wool is cut. It is advisable to dry animals grazing in the meadow indoors before cutting.
Step-by-step instructions for shearing sheep (rams) with a clipper:
- The animal is placed on its left side with its back to itself.
- It is forbidden to rest your foot on the belly of a sheep or turn it over its back.
- The tangles are carefully cut off using scissors.
- Grooming begins from the area near the udder, tail, and legs.
- The first long strip is cut on the belly (up from the groin to the chest).
- You need to cut along the body, carefully, avoiding cuts to the skin.
- Completely free the belly and chest from fur.
- The fleece should come away from the skin as a whole (solid) piece.
- Turn the sheep onto its right side.
- The fur on the left side of the body is cut using long longitudinal strokes.
- Again, turn the sheep onto its left side.
- Remove the fleece (longitudinal moves) from the right side of the body.
- The hair is trimmed from the back, neck and head.
It is recommended to cover the place where the procedure will take place with a tarpaulin or film or oilcloth so that the wool does not become dirty. The quality of the fleece depends on the skill of the shearer.The main thing is not to reduce the length of the wool when cutting. This is especially important for fine-fleeced breeds, the value of the fleece of which depends on the length of the hair.
How to store wool?
It is recommended to dry the sheared fleece in a dry, closed room, clean it of dirt and plant debris, and then roll it into a roller. It is advisable not to wash, wet or comb the wool. The producers buy unwashed and unprocessed fleece. You can store it in plastic bags.
Care and processing of instruments
After cutting, it is recommended to remove any remaining hair from scissors and electric clippers using a soft brush. It is forbidden to wash tools in water. Once cleaned with a rag, the scissors can be sharpened for next time. It is recommended to wipe the machine with a dry cloth and lubricate the mechanisms with machine oil. If necessary, you can replace the cutting knives. Tools should be stored in cases or original boxes.
DIY haircut table
If you wish, you can make your own table for grooming animals. It is made from wooden materials. Height - 0.5-1 meter. The width of the tabletop is 100-150 cm, the length is 150-170 cm. To make a table, in addition to boards and timber, you need nails, screws, a hammer, a screwdriver, corners, and glue.
What do experts advise?
It is advisable to groom animals in spring or summer. The quality of shearing is affected by the fatness of rams and sheep. Well-fed animals have an almost flat body surface and very dense skin, and fat makes the fleece also elastic. When shearing well-fed individuals, the wool does not tear or break. The machine glides easily over the surface and cuts the fleece well.
Shearing thin sheep is harder. Their body surface is uneven and their fur is loose. Such animals have little fat on the fleece. Their coat is dry and hard and difficult to cut.Frequent skin cuts are possible. The fleece turns out to be of poor quality and crumbly. It is recommended to fatten the animals a month before shearing. Sheep quickly recover on grain (oats, corn, barley), sunflower meal and cake, boiled potatoes, and vegetables.
