Shearing 2022

Nithsdale

Member
Livestock Farmer
FB_IMG_1656497523500.jpg
 

Nithsdale

Member
Livestock Farmer
Anyone else hate shearing Mules?
IMG_20220630_194238.jpg


140 today - much drier than forecast so managed to get them in late morning. Don't get me wrong the wool is nice and they shear easy... but they are just complete stroker sheep. They are big, and they fight. Shyte necks too - feel great shearing but necks always take some breaking on the first blow (and never open up enough to slip over the head).

102 done in an hour and half before stopping for some lunch

IMG_20220630_194230.jpg


There were 2 of us shearing so don't go getting excited



Another 140 tomorrow, hopefully, then he's only got 90 for Saturday (again, hopefully). Just a mob of 100 Blackies to do after silaging, and I'm done for the year
 

tepapa

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
North Wales
Anyone else hate shearing Mules?
View attachment 1046287

140 today - much drier than forecast so managed to get them in late morning. Don't get me wrong the wool is nice and they shear easy... but they are just complete stroker sheep. They are big, and they fight. Shyte necks too - feel great shearing but necks always take some breaking on the first blow (and never open up enough to slip over the head).

102 done in an hour and half before stopping for some lunch

View attachment 1046288

There were 2 of us shearing so don't go getting excited



Another 140 tomorrow, hopefully, then he's only got 90 for Saturday (again, hopefully). Just a mob of 100 Blackies to do after silaging, and I'm done for the year
Hell no, I love shearing mules. They are better with empty bellies though.

Do two blows up the neck before you try to break it open, unless they're really cotty, then cut through the wool to open it.
 

irish dom

Member
Anyone else hate shearing Mules?
View attachment 1046287

140 today - much drier than forecast so managed to get them in late morning. Don't get me wrong the wool is nice and they shear easy... but they are just complete stroker sheep. They are big, and they fight. Shyte necks too - feel great shearing but necks always take some breaking on the first blow (and never open up enough to slip over the head).

102 done in an hour and half before stopping for some lunch

View attachment 1046288

There were 2 of us shearing so don't go getting excited



Another 140 tomorrow, hopefully, then he's only got 90 for Saturday (again, hopefully). Just a mob of 100 Blackies to do after silaging, and I'm done for the year
Nicer than the feckers I was at this afternoon. 180 rouge x beltex ewes. Solid as rocks and slippery as glass. Super carcasses on them but barstewards to handle
 

Estate fencing.

Member
Livestock Farmer
When to shear a load of welsh broker last night after being on mules all day, took one look at them as said crovect them and I will come back in 6 weeks, they would have been unshearable, everyone was a bag of bones and the wool welded onto her, very sad to see how some sheep are kept.
 

irish dom

Member
When to shear a load of welsh broker last night after being on mules all day, took one look at them as said crovect them and I will come back in 6 weeks, they would have been unshearable, everyone was a bag of bones and the wool welded onto her, very sad to see how some sheep are kept.
Had a guy a few weeks ago with 500 mules. Started clipping at 7am . By 7.30 I had to abandon them. Absolutely shocking bad. He agreed they couldn't be shorn for a month. Hadn't the heart to tell him it was starvation. Will advise him to drop his stocking rate when I'm back. In fairness he's only a young lad and he will learn if he gets enough bother with hungry sheep. Some boys never learn though and it's hard to understand why they keep them if they can't feed them
 

Nithsdale

Member
Livestock Farmer
Hell no, I love shearing mules. They are better with empty bellies though.

Do two blows up the neck before you try to break it open, unless they're really cotty, then cut through the wool to open it.

Like I said they are good easy shearing wool but the sheep themselves are total strokers - doesn't help they're fed to obscene weight. (But I hate Scotch Mules anyway)

The necks were funny yesterday - you could hardly put a blow up them, but they weren't hard or matted and they didn't even feel that tight to touch. Most of them I ended up running the comb on its edge to cut open on the first blow, then shear the neck. I expect today to be the same...
 
Last edited:

tepapa

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
North Wales
Like I said they are good easy shearing wool but the sheep themselves are total strokers - doesn't help they're fed to obscene weight. (But I hate Scotch Mules anyway)

The necks were funny yesterday - you could hardly put a blow up them, but they weren't hard or matted and they didn't even feel that tight to touch. Most of them I ended up running the comb on its edge to cut open on the first blow, then shear the neck. I expect today to be the same...
I'd rather shear monster mules that 3/4 bulldog's aka texel crosses.

Do you put a blow in off the brisket just to break open the tightness at the base of the neck. Then do the blow as far as you can up the neck, and the second blow up the neck before opening up, or just do what your doing.
 

AJR75

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Somerset
I've found with some that you take a blow off the brisket, run as far up the neck as you can then have to open the wool with the cutters on the side before completing that first neck blow.

Of all the sheep that we get through and it's by no means massive numbers, by far the worst to shear are the ones with poor condition every time regardless of breed.
 

Poorbuthappy

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Devon
Had a guy a few weeks ago with 500 mules. Started clipping at 7am . By 7.30 I had to abandon them. Absolutely shocking bad. He agreed they couldn't be shorn for a month. Hadn't the heart to tell him it was starvation. Will advise him to drop his stocking rate when I'm back. In fairness he's only a young lad and he will learn if he gets enough bother with hungry sheep. Some boys never learn though and it's hard to understand why they keep them if they can't feed them
It may not be as simple as that.
It may be haemonchus or another underlying problem.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 79 42.9%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 63 34.2%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 16.3%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 6 3.3%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

  • 1,287
  • 1
As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
Top