My Winter Vacation

by Lisa Shimeld

Brad and I like to do as much of the routine care and maintenance on our alpacas as possible so last year we decided to tackle shearing. After watching and assisting at the Lone Juniper Ranch Shearing Event last May we purchased a set of Lister clippers. We decided to begin with our enormous llama, Clem, not because we thought he would be an "easy customer" but because he was covered with 5 years growth of felted fiber. Under the circumstances we thought it prudent to have Clem mildly sedated for his haircut. Two hours later Clem was much lighter and three trashcans were much heavier. Clem looked less imposing and was even more handsome than before.

Encouraged by our success we decided to shear the rest of our herd. Somewhere in the process I became the shearer and Brad the (abused) "animal restraint expert." We were invited to shear at a number of Southern California ranches and by summer's end had given about 70 "haircuts." A less foolish person would probably have decided that enough was enough but I was hooked. I absolutely love shearing.

Because I wanted to perfect my skills I began searching for a shearing school. I found a highly respected sheep shearing program offered by South Dakota State University (SDSU). There was only one problem, classes were offered only in December and February. When I inquired why they didn't shear during a more comfortable time of the year, such as June, I was told shearing took place just before lambing. As much as I despise the cold, I wanted to take the three-day class. With only a little anxiety and a pair of flannel lined jeans I decided to go to South Dakota in December.

On the first day of class I arrived at the SDSU Sheep Unit at 8:00 am. The weather was beautiful - clear skies and a crisp 40oF. There had been no snow in the last couple of weeks, what luck! I met the six other students and the two instructors, Jeff Held and Curt Olson. Jeff runs the Sheep Unit at the university and holds a Ph.D. in Animal and Range Science. Curt has been a professional sheep shearer for over 25 years and also trains dogs for herding and hunting.

The first morning of class covered equipment.We learned how to adjust and properly tension blades and how to prepare a sharpening disk.We would be using flexible downshaft shears, the type of shears used by most professional shearers. These shears are powered by a motor mounted overhead. The handpiece is attached to a flexible cable that runs through a piece of heavy rubber or metal tubing. We were also given an overview of the shearing process and then moved out to the barn for a demonstration by the "pros." Curt and Jeff sure made it look easy. Even though they took their time so we could see how they maneuvered the sheep it only took about 5 minutes to shear an entire animal. I was amazed to learn that professional shearers can shear up to 200 animals a day!

Curt paired the students up and we pulled our first customer from the chute. There is a very specific pattern in which sheep are sheared. Initially, the animal is positioned so her back is lying against the shearer's legs. Her belly is shorn first and the wool is discarded because it is usually caked with mud. While still in this position the crotch and insides of the legs are shorn too. The animal's hind legs are then rolled to one side so the outside of the leg and the rump can be shorn. The remaining parts of the sheep are shorn as she is rolled from one position to another and ideally, the entire fleece comes off in one piece. Sheep, obviously, are "put together" quite differently than alpacas and so the positioning techniques used in sheep shearing are not applicable to our animals.

A fact of life in shearing, whether it be sheep or alpacas, is that animals will get cut. Shearing blades are incredibly sharp and the animals are frightened, not a great combination. All of the students, including myself, cut sheep. Some of those cuts were very impressive. We worked with several varieties of sheep, some of which had thin skin and lots of wrinkles. The best way to avoid cutting the animal is to shear perpendicular to the direction of the wrinkles. Also, it's important to NEVER pull up on the wool while shearing. Doing so pulls the skin into the blade.

We all had plenty of opportunities to stitch up sheep using an S-shaped needle (available from Jeffers Veterinary Supply, 1-800- 533-3377) and unwaxed dental floss. Really. Dental floss. Curt and Jeff stressed that they usually only sewed up animals when a vein had been cut. Otherwise, they felt the animal was much more likely to become infected if sewn than if the wound was left open to heal. I must admit, by the end of the third day of class it was difficult to determine which animals had been cut on the first day. Fortunately, no one cut a vein throughout the class and by day three small nicks were the worst damage we inflicted on our subjects.

By the end of the class I had shorn approximately 40 sheep. Every piece of clothing I'd brought was soaked in lanolin and could have stood up unassisted. I was sure to be popular on the flight home but was so tired I really couldn't have cared less. I had the best time and hope to return next year for the advanced class. I guess some of us never will learn when to quit.

Last Modified: July 27, 2005, 2:44 pm