Shearing Season 2024

[LukeMcCullagh]

So I have been holding off starting this thread but as we are almost a month away now thought I would start it off.

I did my first season last year and cannot wait to get back at it this year, been working on stengthing my back and core a lot through the off season. My main target this time is to hit 100 a day and get my Bronze from the British Wool.

Anybody got any advice on what they do to get ready for the season, or stories from their time shearing?

 

[yellowbelly]

C'mon Luke, you're a tad late out of the gate.....

......we did 30 or 40 sale gimmers and tups at the beginning of March
Best of luck for the coming season

 

[LukeMcCullagh]

See I must have missed the invite to that

I do need to try and get some show clients so I can do some earlier jobs feels a bit to long.

Even crutching our flock and lambs wasn't enough, need some proper shearing work.

Ps. still need to tick a lincoln off my breed list.

 

[spin cycle]

See I must have missed the invite to that

I do need to try and get some show clients so I can do some earlier jobs feels a bit to long.

Even crutching our flock and lambs wasn't enough, need some proper shearing work.

Ps. still need to tick a lincoln off my breed list.

you are 100% nutter

 

[copse]

I hope the weather improves before shearing or it’s going to be a nightmare getting them done.

 

[Hill Ground]

I opened up my annual tally on 16th Jan, 67 gotlands!!

 

[LukeMcCullagh]

I hope the weather improves before shearing or it’s going to be a nightmare getting them done.

Oh it can only get better. I am always an optimist.

you are 100% nutter

Just found my calling in life a lot later than others. No better time of year than shearing season. Helps when you have good customers

I opened up my annual tally on 16th Jan, 67 gotlands!!

Bloody hell that is early but sounds good. What are they like to shear?

 

[DanM]

We pre-lamb shear all our woolly sheep end of March/early April. Romney ewes. We’re not alone. So there’s jobs about if your keen to get going

 

[tepapa]

Ps. still need to tick a lincoln off my breed list.

Don't hold your breath, took me nearly 25 yrs to tick that box

 

[Hill Ground]

Bloody hell that is early but sounds good. What are they like to shear?

They're fine, shear July and Jan, like a mule with head and belly wool.

We do a bit of winter shearing, they're some of the better ones to be fair!

 

[yellowbelly]

Ps. still need to tick a lincoln off my breed list.

Don't hold your breath, took me nearly 25 yrs to tick that box

Plenty here....

... come and knock yourself out.

 

[LukeMcCullagh]

Plenty here....

... come and knock yourself out.

Now they look fun to shear.

I haven't come across a breed yet I haven't liked. Managed 14 last season just another 50 or so to go.

 

[LukeMcCullagh]

We pre-lamb shear all our woolly sheep end of March/early April. Romney ewes. We’re not alone. So there’s jobs about if your keen to get going

I am going to have start asking around for next year can't do with all this downtime.

 

[Fat Lamb]

Now they look fun to shear.

I haven't come across a breed yet I haven't liked. Managed 14 last season just another 50 or so to go.

Have you done any Wensleydales?
They are absolute barstewards!

 

[polk_farmer]

Now they look fun to shear.

I haven't come across a breed yet I haven't liked. Managed 14 last season just another 50 or so to go.

Have you ever sheared a Dorset?

 

[Bury the Trash]

Good to see someone so keen, good luck with it .thumbs up emoj

 

[wrenbird]

Have you ever sheared a Dorset?

I never really did any shearing for anyone else, only my own, but I did one year for a friend of a friend who had been let down by their usual shearer.
When I got there I could see why, only fifteen sheep, kept as pets with their horses, but seven were Ryelands , and the others were very bolshie Jacobs with multiple horns sticking out at all angles .
What made it even worse was the woman who owned them was in tears the whole time and every thirty seconds asking for reassurance that I wasn’t hurting them, all while one of her precious pets was trying to eviscerate me with its flipping horns!

 

[LukeMcCullagh]

Have you done any Wensleydales?
They are absolute barstewards!

Not yet but they are on my list, I think once I have done them all I might rate them on a scale of 1- 10 on how much I enjoyed it.

Have you ever sheared a Dorset?

Not yet have watched them be done would like to give it a go.

I never really did any shearing for anyone else, only my own, but I did one year for a friend of a friend who had been let down by their usual shearer.
When I got there I could see why, only fifteen sheep, kept as pets with their horses, but seven were Ryelands , and the others were very bolshie Jacobs with multiple horns sticking out at all angles .
What made it even worse was the woman who owned them was in tears the whole time and every thirty seconds asking for reassurance that I wasn’t hurting them, all while one of her precious pets was trying to eviscerate me with its flipping horns!

I've got a pair of Ryelands to do in early May will see how I get on, haven't done jacobs yet. Did a flock of Hebrideans found them really fun to do had a few 4 horns but they were so small it was easy to shift them round. Wool was a bit matted underneath but just adds to the fun and challenge of it to get it off tidy.

This was one of the tups they were using, James who let me have a stand did the hebridean tup they had but I really wanted to do it.

 

[tepapa]

Luke get yourself a flock of early lambing Dorset's to shear, it'll soon kill any enthusiasm you have for shearing

 

[LukeMcCullagh]

Luke get yourself a flock of early lambing Dorset's to shear, it'll soon kill any enthusiasm you have for shearing

A few people have said that about a few breeds not found any that have managed it yet.