Winter shearing

[beardface]

Looking like I'll need to house the ewes in January while March this year due to lack of outside feed. Thinking about shearing them. They should be about 6 weeks post tupping when I house them and would want to shear. Is this too soon after tupping? Will be using cover comb and turning back to grass in beginning of March to lamb April 8th.

 

[Highland Mule]

Wouldn't fancy turning them out into a snowstorm in early March when they've still got a short haircut....

 

[sticky]

They need a minimum of 8 weeks growth before turnout.

 

[scottish-lleyn]

Will be fine if you get them shorn quick enough in jan. Do a few for folk in jan that turn them back out to lamb and seem to do ok.

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

You don't mention the breed but providing they are not some thin skinned pink nosed breed then they will be absolutely fine.

 

[beardface]

Mixture, lleyn x Romney lleyn x sufftex and mules

 

[Northumberland]

Will you have to shear them again in the summer?

 

[Andyt880]

I will be shearing mine after Christmas once they are all in. I will lamb inside in March / April and then turn them out. I did the same last year and it worked well. The do far better with the wool off when they are in for a longer time. Along a 16 ft feed barrier there was room for an extra ewe with the wool off
I didn’t shear them again later in the year, just applied click for maggot prevention a bit early in the season and had no issues what so ever.

 

[Cardi]

I will be shearing mine after Christmas once they are all in. I will lamb inside in March / April and then turn them out. I did the same last year and it worked well. The do far better with the wool off when they are in for a longer time. Along a 16 ft feed barrier there was room for an extra ewe with the wool off
I didn’t shear them again later in the year, just applied click for maggot prevention a bit early in the season and had no issues what so ever.

Same here, been doing it the last 30 years. Usually shear in the first couple of week of January. Lamb mostly in March.

 

[Optimus]

Me too.done it for years.stopped doing the gimmers though as found it was sometimes a bit hard on them.definitely have more room in the shed once done.

 

[Downton_shep]

Winter shearing is great if the ewes are in good condition. Nightmare if they’re poor!

 

[TexelBen]

Do they clip alright? Do you use standard comb or a cover comb?

 

[DanM]

Do they clip alright? Do you use standard comb or a cover comb?

As long as they’re in reasonable bcs they shear fine. We’ve been doing ours today before lambing starts 17th. Using “blizzard” cover combs.

 

[Andyt880]

I do mine in January and they are being turned out now. I just get them clipped as normal, no comb. It’s great to have less wool around the elder when the lambs are young. It makes it a bit easier if you need to help a lamb to get sucking. I also think the ewes are better going out with no wool, if it’s a bad night they will head for shelter quicker and take the lambs with them

 

[LCF1]

I’m thinking of winter shearing for the first time next year
We run Suffxmules, are there any breeds not suited to the job?

 

[Global ovine]

@beardface
Shearing six weeks post tupping will have no effect on their pregnancies. The foetuses are only the size of peanuts in a fluid environment very well protected from pokes and prods. The hormone status of the ewe is well settled into pregnancy being the end of the first trimester.
Winter shearing with cover combs and supplying good shelter for the first week is normal practice for nearly all of NZ's fine wool industry (3.6 million ewes) found in hard hill country and mountain lands. Heavy rain is worse than snow. Access to a plantation (woodlands) is ideal. Keeping ewes full with bulky feed (hay or dryish haylage) is necessary. It takes 5 days for sheep to triple their skin thickness post shearing.
The grazing used post shearing should be planned and budgeted to cater for the 15% extra needed for heat loss.
Well planned grazing will prevent loss of ewe BCS.

 

[Andyt880]

I’m thinking of winter shearing for the first time next year
We run Suffxmules, are there any breeds not suited to the job?

Your suff x mules will be fine for clipping in the winter so long as they are in reasonable condition. I like to have them done at least 8 weeks before they are due to lamb. I’ve clipped mine around Christmas time now for 2 years and haven’t lost any lambs because of it yet. They would be lambing mid March on. Once you get into the cycle of winter shearing it’s a much easier system really I think

 

[Kernowkid]

I’m thinking If winter shearing as sick of ewes on their back in the run up to lambing. Can check 3 times a day and still have several gutted by sea birds. Does anyone shear and not house straight after?

 

[andybk]

I’m thinking If winter shearing as sick of ewes on their back in the run up to lambing. Can check 3 times a day and still have several gutted by sea birds. Does anyone shear and not house straight after?

i take a 12v shearset in truck , anything on back gets shorn ad marked , whatever time of year , only matter of time before it happens again .