Pumpkin leaned into Liz as she sheared him. He’s a big wether (neutered male sheep) but didn’t give her a moment’s trouble.
Biddy who is much smaller than Pumpkin was easy too. Once the sheep are turned on their back they go dormant. But sometimes it’s not so easy to get them on their backs.
Rosemary gave Liz the most trouble. Liz is very good at catching the sheep and getting them to the shearing board, but Rosemary didn’t want to go. Even once Liz had her on her back she protested by baaing. I’ve never seen any of my sheep do that before. Eventually, she gave in.
Liz trims all the sheep’s hooves and checked Suzy’s to make sure it wasn’t the reason she was limping. She couldn’t find anything wrong with her hoof, so I’m sure it’s as I assumed that Suzy twisted her foot while running. It will heal by itself.
Liz also checks the sheep’s teeth and eyes. She said that Socks’ teeth are showing signs of wear but she otherwise looked healthy. She said that Kim, who is about 8 years old looked great.
I love following you and your flock. My grandfather was born in Spain and before he came to America, he had a herd of goats that he kept as a boy. My mom said he always talked of his goats and was so sad to leave them. He never forgot them. I am a goat person too, but I would imagine keeping a flock of sheep is similar. There is something so grounding and spiritual being a herder. I miss walking with my goats and sitting with them while they grazed. I kept them until they died of old age. Maybe someday, I will settle down on a farm and keep a herd again. Thank you for sharing your stories and photos!
This is always interesting to watch. Even though they’ve been shorn before, it looks like it’s still a stressful experience. You can tell by Biddy and Kim’s dilated pupils. Thankfully, it seems like the fear doesn’t last very long.
Can’t wait to see the beautiful wool yarn you will get from your sheep! Glad they are all doing goodI’ll bet they are happy to have their winter coats off! Enjoy your day