Shearing of sheep

Wool shearing practices vary in different regions. However, shearing is mostly practiced twice a year in spring and autumn seasons. Sheep are washed at least two days before shearing in order to remove dirt, suint and grease which hinder shearing. Machine shearing is more efficient than manual shearing with scissors as it saves time, avoids injury to the sheep and “second-cuts” of staples. Some producers prefer to shear pregnant ewes before lambing. If ewes cannot be completely shorn before lambing, they should be “crotched out” by shearing the wool from the udder and dock area and from the head and eyes of those breeds with wool on the face. This will make lambing and nursing easier. Shearing before breeding in summer season tends to increase the heat loss from the body and cools the ewe and ram, thus inducing estrus in the ewe and stimulating spermatogenesis in the ram.

Procedure :-

1) The sheep must be held properly in a comfortable position to prevent its struggling during shearing. Most shearers use the Australian method in which the sheep is set upon its rump and supported firmly between the shearer’s knees.

2) The skin should be stretched so that it is smooth in the area being shorn.

3) Wool fibres should be cut only once next to the skin to avoid “second cuts” or short fibres of reduced value.

4) Belly wool, leg wool and tags have a lower value and should be kept separate from the higher-quality wool from the back, neck and sides.

5) The fleece should be removed in one piece so that it will remain together when tied.

6) The fleece should be tied only with paper wool twine to prevent contamination.

Precautions :-

1) Cutters and combs should be sharp; and they should be cleaned, resharpened and lubricated after each job of shearing.

2) The shearing floor should be clean and free of straw or chaff. It should be swept clean of second cuts and manure tags after each shearing.

3) Sheep must be dry before shearing. Wet wool tends to heat up and become discoloured.

4) Be extremely careful when shearing around the udder, scrotum, sheath, loose skin of the flank and hamstring.

5) Never lift the unshorn fleece with the left hand and attempt to shear it off. This lifts the skin as well, which will be cut in shearing. Instead, use your left hand to stretch the skin away from the shearer.

6) Use a shearing glove on the non-shearing hand to protect yourself against injury from the handpiece.

7) Keep the electric cord of the shearer behind you so that it cannot be cut, thus preventing electric shock.

8) Do not rush through the shearing procedure in an attempt to increase speed. The appearance of the shorn sheep (which should have a minimum of cuts) and the condition of the fleece are as important as speed. An experienced shearer can shear a sheep in 5 minutes or less, which works out to about 100 sheep per day.

9) Newly shorn sheep should be protected from the cold and rain until they have had time to regrow some wool cover.