When to shear sheep

[Agri]

How do you know when it is best to shear sheep.

 

[tepapa]

How do you know when it is best to shear sheep.

Sometime between May and July depending on your breed and location.
The south of England will have just started a long with a few ewe Hoggs being done around the rest of the country. Most of the country will be underway come June moving from the lowlands hills into July. And Scotland will be going on into August.

 

[gatepost]

As the weather gets warmer, the fleece will 'rise' in other words get ready to shed naturally, part the wool and you see that it is held on by less fibres, shearing is often seen as a management issue ie maggots , sheep getting on their backs, but generally those that shout the loudest to get the wool of a sheep's back early before its ready, don't do the shearing!

 

[Estate fencing.]

How do you know when it is best to shear sheep.

When the shearers say they can turn up.
Never turn a shearer or a baler away!
But really try to get all dry sheep done in may, then any ewes that lambed before April in June and finish with hill breeds, late lambers and poor farmed ewes in July.

 

[Tim W]

How do you know when it is best to shear sheep.

My dry shedders are about 80% of the way through their self shearing which in my experience means that the woollies in the same flock (with their excessive /unnatural amount of wool) will be ready for help from the shearers in about a months time

 

[Ffermer Bach]

if you try to shear them too early you can feel that they are sticky and the comb does not flow through the wool, you have to wait for the yolk to rise, and I guess that need heat, which we haven't had yet this year

 

[Agrivator]

When the Elder flowers peep, it's safe to clip your sheep.

And hoggs can be clipped early, particularly if you can give them shelter if the weather suddenly turns. But losing one from cold is better than losing two from being couped, cast, cestened, backed, legs-up-in-the air etc.

 

[andybk]

dry hoggs and december lambers in may , rest in june , but you need a bit of heat to make wool rise , and dont shear any lactating ewes on poor ground till later will be as sticky as anything , you need about 3 days after to allow blood vessels to sink into skin , with any heavy cold rain expected , though i often leave belly wool on drys if shearing early (april) just as a bit of insulation when lying on cold ground .

 

[ShooTa]

what about romneys? they seem (per youtube) to be shorn twice........

 

[Jerry]

Did dry hogs and rams yesterday, sheared very well. (dont think they liked me as promptly got half an inch of rain on them last night)

 

[CopperBeech]

Sheep would be sheared just about every single month in the uk.

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

Shear your sheep in May and shear them all away!
The old saying didn't apply to dry sheep though.

 

[muleman]

When your happy yourself to be out in a T-shirt!

 

[Fendt516profi]

When your happy yourself to be out in a T-shirt!

Trouble is I was happy to be out in a T-shirt some days in march but glad I could put a coat back on other days, the wool doesn't go back on so well

 

[muleman]

Trouble is I was happy to be out in a T-shirt some days in march but glad I could put a coat back on other days, the wool doesn't go back on so well

Well you wouldnt dream of shearing in march tho.

 

[Fendt516profi]

Well you wouldnt dream of shearing in march tho.

It's a nightmare when ever I think about it

 

[CopperBeech]

We used to shear a couple thousand ewes end of March / start of April.

 

[Greythundercloudys]

It will be well in to July around here if this weather keeps being so sh!t.

 

[muleman]

It will be well in to July around here if this weather keeps being so sh!t.

July soon enough, it will take the milk off them, shear late ,wean soon for big lambs.

 

[Six Dogs]

I think you have to turn the question on it’s head-why do we shear when we do?
I’m not a shedder disciple yet however as someone with Romney who now shears the ewes once in September I can vouch that sheep in full wool will graze more in a hot spell like 2018 than shorn ewes who seek shelter,evidence from a flock we manage on June shear.
No one in Australia shears in the heights of summer so I would suggest you shear to suit your system