The Weekly Bleat: Shearing Day!
Freshly sheared woolies
October 2016
I can’t believe it’s been two years since I first introduced a recurring feature on my blog called, The Weekly Bleat. And, since Farmguy and I had our sheep sheared last weekend, I thought I would re-share the very first “bleat” from October 27th 2014. I hope EWE enjoy! š
Welcome to Fourth Generation Farmgirlās, āThe Weekly Bleat.ā Ā For those who arenāt sure, a bleat is the Ā characteristic sound a sheep makesāsimilar to a baaah. Ā In the future, āThe Weekly Bleatā will briefly share happenings from Green Hill Farm as well as anything else thatās considered uplifting or entertaining.
This first bleat fittingly focuses on our sheep and the semi-annual event of shearing on Green Hill Farm. Ā Not only do we shear the sheep, but we also do a bit of hoof trimming as well as drenchingāadministering a dose of liquid dewormer. Ā Last weekend, we were fortunate to have a lovely, temperate day for this task. Ā The following photographs illustrate shearing day with my husband Scott, chief sheep wrestler, hoof trimmer and drencher; our wonderful shearer, Diane Poole, who is very patient and gentle with our woollies; and, meāassistant hoof trimmer and drencher. Ā Oh! Ā And, I canāt forgetāĀ our curious catsā¦
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Categories: Reflections on Farm Life, The Weekly Bleat
fourth generation farmgirl 
Time flies so fast eh!!!
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It really does!!
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That looks like quite the process Tonya!
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It usually takes a couple of hours to shear, trim hooves, and drench. But, it’s a nice way to spend a spring or autumn morning. š
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Happy 2 Year Bleating Anniversary – or should I say Happy Baaaday š
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Haha! Happy Baaaday–that’s perfect! š š
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Why is shearing done right before Winter? Are their coats not helpful to stay warm? I don’t know anything about sheep.
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Thanks for your question. Our sheep’s wool grows really fast. They’ll have an inch or two of wool in the next month. Also, because the wool grows so fast, if we don’t shear now, by the end of winter their fleeces are matted. We usually have mild winters, and we do have a barn. Scottish Blackface sheep are a hearty breed. They love sleeping outside in cold weather. On mornings when there’s been a frost, we’ll find 10 little green spots in the grass. š
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Has it really been two years?? Unbelievable! It means two years of learning and slowly falling in love with your farm š
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You. Are. So. Sweet! Thanks so much, Prajakta. It’s always a delight hearing from you! š xo
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I enjoyed reading your response to another comment about why you shear in the Fall. Until I read it, I never realized that the fleece of some types of sheep grows so rapidly that they need to be sheared twice a year.
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I’m glad you enjoyed the post, Sheryl. Yes, our sheep are a breed that needs to be sheared twice a year as their wool grows very fast and long.
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