A sheep is an animal that belongs to the Bovidae family and Ovis genus.The procedure of removing wool from a sheep by the use of a blade and other equipment is called sheep shearing. The person or professional that removes the wool is called the shearer.In several areas, shearers are in high demand. Most people argue that sheep shearing is cruel. However, from a scientific standpoint sheep shearing is not harmful. In fact, it helps the sheep in many ways while benefiting humans too. Shearing can be a difficult and interesting procedure. To know more about shearing and its effect on sheep, continue reading. We have curated a bunch of interesting facts on other topics like the difference between lamb and sheep and what sheep eat. Check them out once you have finished reading this article.How And When To Shear A SheepRight Time: Choosing the right time of the year to shear your sheep is very important. Only a handful of sheep need shearing twice a year. Early spring, summer, and prior to lambing season are some of the best times to shear your sheep. Ewes specifically need to be tidy when they are pregnant. Shearing will help avoid unnecessary infections. When you shear the ewe a month before lambing, in an attempt to produce more body heat, they will start eating more.Expert Advice: Shearing is not as easy as it looks. If you do not have enough experience call a professional sheep shearer or a team of shearers. If you try to shear the animal without any experience you might injure the sheep. If the wool is not sheared properly it will lose its value.Clean Tools: The quality of the equipment must be top-notch. Low-quality products can irritate the skin of the sheep. You can use electric shears or shearing machines. Tools with larger amounts of teeth on the comb must be used. Blades should be disinfected before use. Before you start shearing make sure the sheep are in a well-protected area like a pen.Position: Make sure the sheep is in a comfortable position before you start shearing. There are five different positions that will help you trim the wool in all parts while giving maximum comfort to your sheep. Start by trimming the wool on the underside as the wool on the belly is the dirtiest and is of no value. Make sure your sheep is seated upright with your legs balancing the sheep’s back. Use long blows on alternative sides of the belly before reaching the center. You have to move to the hind legs and crotch area once you are finished with the belly region. Hold the shoulders of the sheep firmly in between your legs. Do it gently. Be careful and don’t shave off your ewe’s teats. Pay more attention and be gentle when you are shearing the wool in the crotch area. You can then tilt the sheep to the side to shear the wool on the sides and tail. Start from the bottom of the hind legs and slowly move upwards. Opening your legs wider will give make it easy for you to reach the tail. You can also shear the head wool as it is easily accessible in this position. Then move to the neck and back. You can now slowly prompt your sheep to turn to the other side. Use three separate blows or more to get rid of the wool on the right side. By now the fleece will be hanging down. Once you get the fleece roll it. Wash the fleece. You can separate the grease from the fleece. Fleeces go through a process called skirting. The unnecessary parts of the fleece are cut off. If you plan to tie your fleeces make sure that you only use paper twines.Did you know that the fleeces of crosses between hair sheep and wool sheep are not used as they do not have a combination of wool fibers and hair?Why do sheep need shearing?Shearing sheep is a difficult but necessary process. The sheep in the wild need not be sheared as they manage to shed their winter coats naturally by rubbing their bodies against tree trunks. The farm-bred sheep are not aware of this technique and do not shed their coats naturally. So they need our help. Sheep shearing is done for two reasons, firstly to prevent the sheep from producing too much heat and secondly to keep them cleaner and safer from infections and parasitic attacks.In the summer months having thick coats of wool might not just be frustrating but will cause overheating. Shearing will help them maintain their regular body temperature. Sheep love grazing. They go to multiple places. When they have unkempt wool on their body the chances of getting infections ad other diseases immediately rise. Shearing them at proper intervals and at the right time is very important. Shearing before lambing helps create a clean environment for the lambs.Fun Fact: The scientists in Australia were able to find a new chemical method for shearing sheep. This method is called bio clip. The sheep are injected with a natural protein which makes the fleece fall off on its own without any human interference.Why is shearing sheep bad?Shearing is not bad as it only helps the sheep. Some sheep can even die by overheating when they are not sheared.However, the commercial use of wool has put pressure on the production of wool. This makes the owners shear their sheep at irregular intervals and two to three times a year, all of which are harmful to the sheep’s health. Sometimes even lambs are sheared in order to meet the market demands. The negative impact of over or constant shearing has given people the idea that the concept of shearing sheep is entirely wrong and bad.Does shearing hurt sheep?We can’t voice out on behalf of the sheep breeds. Unless you are a sheep, it is tough to tell if the process is actually painful or not.Most people and experts have concluded that shearing sheep is not a painful process. It is just a harmless hair removal process that does not affect the sheep or the shearer. Shearing is the process of removing the uppermost layer of the skin that has more dead skin cells, so it is not painful at all. However, if sheep shearing is done by amateurs who lack skill the process can turn out to be very painful for the sheep. It requires great skills and experience. So seek help from professional sheep shearers when you are not confident about your skills. This way you will save the sheep from going through a tough and painful process. Slight cuts on the sheep’s body after shearing might be painful.Fun Fact: Matt Smith, a shearer from New Zealand, holds the record for shearing the most number of ewes. He sheared 731 ewes in just nine hours. The previous record was set by Merino who sheared 497 ewes in eight hours.How did they shear sheep in the olden days?In the olden days, people did not have electric or machine shears. They used hand shears, that is, blades to shear the sheep.A traditional English method of sheep shearing included methods like tying up the sheep. In the olden days, the sheep would be placed on the stool with its legs tied. The wool was sheared in a criss-cross manner rather than following a uniform pattern like nowadays. They used sharp blades to remove the wool. Another method that sounds cruel was carried out by women. Women in the olden days used to sing to the sheep and pull off the coat that came of naturally. These were the two most common methods used in the olden days. These methods were very slow. A professional sheep shearer would barely shear 20-30 sheep per day. Currently, you can easily shear at least 3,000 sheep per day with the use of electric and machine shears.Did you know that Australian wool is the most preferred wool? It is used by interior architects and apparel designers which has created a demand for Australian sheep wool.Should you shear your sheep?Yes, you should shear sheep.It makes sure that the animal is clean and hygienic. Most animals can shed their wool or coat on their own, but other animals like sheep need help from humans to lose their wool. There are certain risks when you keep a sheep without shearing it. Sheep will not be able to regulate their body temperatures. Pests like flies, ticks, and maggots are attracted to the unkempt dirty hair and smell of urine and feces. These things get trapped or stick to the wool when it is too long resulting in manifestations that can be life-threatening. Having lots of wool will be heavy and make it difficult for the sheep to walk. They will start getting leg and back associated conditions.Caring For Sheep After ShearingSheep are prone to developing cold stress after the shearer has sheared the wool. Sheep wool keeps the animal warm. Suddenly removing the wool will put pressure on the sheep to regulate its own body temperature.Keep your sheep warm if they show any signs of hypothermia post shearing. The first few days are very risky. You are risk-free after a month. Your sheep will improve and adapt to the conditions. Feed them 45-50% more than the usual amount as it acts as extra fuel and keeps them from getting cold. Due to the absence or minimal amounts of fat, lambs are at a higher risk. Move them to a warm location on the farm and feed them separately.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for facts about shearing sheep then why not take a look at how long sheep live or sheep facts?
A sheep is an animal that belongs to the Bovidae family and Ovis genus.
