Parts 1: preparation and planning
1. Why do sheep need shearing? There are two main reasons for shearing wool: you can collect wool for sale, but more importantly, you should avoid overheating the sheep because of too much wool in summer. In some parts of the world, shearing wool is even regarded as a sport! If sheep don't shear their wool, they will feel uncomfortable and may get sick, because dust may get entangled in their hair. Therefore, even if you don't plan to sell wool, your sheep need to be trimmed at least once a year.
Because a special kind of sheep wool is very warm and can be easily spun into thread, it is of high value. This kind of sheep usually needs to be cultivated in different ways, and they should be fed some foods rich in minerals to improve their wool quality. A sheep can produce 3.5-4.5 kilograms of wool.
2. Choose the right time of year. Most sheep only need pruning once a year, but some breeds with fast hair growth need pruning twice a year. The best time to trim sheep in a year is spring, before the lamb season begins and before the hot summer comes. There are many reasons for shearing wool before the lamb season begins. This will help them keep clean during childbirth and make it easier for lambs to find their mother's nipples to drink milk. If the sheep are kept in the sheephouse during the lambing season, the trimmed sheep will also take up less space.
Another reason to trim wool before lamb season is that ewes who have been sheared usually eat more grass to make their bodies produce more calories. This will also provide them with the nutrition they need for production.
Try to trim their wool about a month before they give birth to lambs, so that they get over the anxiety of trimming before giving birth to lambs. If your sheep is a fast-growing breed (such as Cotswolds, Icelandic sheep or Lincoln sheep), trim it again in late summer or early autumn. Before winter comes, sheep need at least six weeks to grow hair.
3. Consider looking for an experienced wool shearer. Although it looks easy, shearing wool is actually a very difficult job. It requires confidence, skill and physical strength. So, maybe you should find a professional shearing person to finish (at least help you) the task of shearing wool. An inexperienced sheep shearer may hurt the sheep or himself. It may also scare the sheep and affect their health. And if the technology is not good, it is likely to damage the wool when pruning, so the wool can only be sold at a discount.
In some areas, professional shearers may be fully booked months in advance, so it's best to book them well in advance. You can also choose to gather sheep from many small farms in one place for shearing. Here, a pruning team can finish shearing and processing wool at the same time.
If you insist on shearing your own wool, you can take a shearing course and learn some suitable skills. Many sheep-raising areas hold wool pruning courses every year, and sheep farmers are welcome to participate.
4. Collect the right tools. High-quality wool pruning tools are very important. This will make the whole process easier and safer for sheep and shearers. Now the electric trimmer is almost the only choice. The electric trimmer has three main parts-handle, comb and blade. Choose a trimmer with many teeth for the comb part, so that it can be closer to the skin. You will probably spend 1500-3000 yuan on an electric trimmer.
Before you start pruning, it is necessary to make sure that your trimmer is still sharp. Blunt trimmers are more difficult to use and dangerous to you and your sheep. Fortunately, it is easy to change the blade of the trimmer. New blades only cost 60-90 yuan.
Many years ago (in those areas where electricity was limited), pruning was done by hand scissors. This pruning method is time-consuming and will leave more hair on the sheep.
5. Drive the sheep into the sheepfold. Before pruning, gather the sheep together and concentrate them in the pen. If possible, divide the sheep into lambs, one-year-old sheep, ewes and rams. It can also be classified according to the breed and grade of sheep. Don't let the sheep get wet Make sure the sheep are not wet before pruning, because wet sheep can't be pruned. This is because the shearers or sheep may get an electric shock (the shearers get an electric shock) and wet wool cannot be rolled up for sale.
Let the sheep fast the day before pruning. Sheep should not be fed any food the day before pruning. This will reduce the amount of waste they produce and keep the trimmed site clean. This will minimize their discomfort when trimming wool on their backs.
Part 2: shearing wool
1, put the sheep away. The first step in shearing wool is to keep the sheep in the right posture. In the whole process of shearing wool, there are mainly five postures. The first step is to gently turn the sheep over, land on its back and put its shoulders between your knees. Its belly should be exposed and its four legs should be in the air.
Always remember that the more comfortable your sheep feels when shearing, the less it will struggle-this will make your job easier.
2. Start trimming the abdomen. Sheep belly hair is usually the dirtiest and not worth selling. This is why it is best to start here. Use consistent and confident techniques (this is the professional technique of shearing wool) to trim the sheep from the sternum position down to the sides.
Cut it from your right hand side, then your left hand side, and then cut the hair between them. Make sure your belly is fully unfolded, and your next job will be much easier.
3. Trim the inside of the hind legs and crotch. The next step is to shear the inner leg and crotch, as follows: continue to lean forward (still fixing the sheep between the knees) and trim up along the inner leg.
Then move the trimmer horizontally to cut wool from the crotch. This step may need to be repeated several times to ensure that all the wool is cut off. Now trim the inside of the right leg.
What you need to pay attention to most is the ewe's nipple. It is best to cover the nipple with your left hand (or non-dominant hand) to prevent it from being accidentally cut off.
4. Trim the left leg and tail in another place. Rotate about 90 degrees so that your right knee is in front of the sheep and the right front leg of the sheep is between your legs, so that its left side can be exposed. First, trim from the sheep's left hind leg, starting from the toes, and then working up the hind leg until it is close to the spine.
Move your right leg back a little to better aim at the sheep's tail. Adjust the position of the trimming comb so that it enters the end of wool. Trim from the top of the sheep's tail to the back. Repeat once or twice to thoroughly clean the wool at the tail.
Because this posture is easy to reach the sheep's head, you can seize this opportunity to trim the hair on the sheep's head if necessary.
5. Trim the chest, neck and chin. Before you continue, you need to pose for the third position. The details are as follows: put the right foot between the sheep's hind legs, put the left foot on its back, and fix the sheep's body between the knees. Grab the goat's chin with his left hand and let its head stick back.
Pick up your trimmer, move it from your back to your neck and cut it a little below your chin. This is the most fulfilling part of the whole process, just like you are unwinding wool.
Continue to trim the left side of its neck in parallel, first to its eyes and then to its ears. Fix its ear backwards with its left hand to avoid cutting.
6. Trim the left shoulder. Move your center of gravity and gently move the sheep so that you can touch its shoulder better. Because shoulder skin may have many wrinkles, you can tighten the skin with your left hand. This way you can trim more smoothly and avoid cutting the sheep.
Starting from the left knee, trim it up to the left shoulder once or twice to remove the wool. You should also take this opportunity to remove the wool from the inside of the left front leg.
7. Change your posture and start trimming the sheep's back. In the fourth position, put the sheep down along your leg until it lies on the right. Put your right foot between its hind legs and your left foot under its shoulders. Now it's time to trim the long distance, including the whole back area. Put the trimmer on the sheep's tail and trim it vertically up along its back, parallel to its spine.
Continue to trim along the back like this until it is cut to the middle, when the whole left side is hairless.
8. Trim the right side in a different position. Now you can enter the fifth and final position. Turn your right foot and stand up straight, so that the sheep's nose is between your knees. Trim the sheep's right head, neck and shoulder three or four times. Don't forget to grasp and tighten the wrinkled skin on your shoulder with your left hand.
After the neck and shoulders are cleaned, you can trim the wool on the right front leg, from shoulder to toe.
Next, use a series of diagonal pruning to clean the wool on this side. Hold the sheep's right shoulder joint with the left hand and keep it fixed.
9. Trim the right leg and rear hip. The last step is to trim the sheep's wool from the right leg to the right hip. Move your right foot forward slightly so that you can put your left hand on the right side of the sheep to fix it. This allows sheep to keep their legs straight (easier to trim) and stretch their skin.
Curly trim the sheep from the side to its right hind leg. When trimming its legs, trim the ends a few times and clean up the last hair on its ass. Congratulations, you trimmed your first sheep!
10, put the wool in order. Once the sheep are trimmed, you need to tidy up the wool (if you plan to sell it). Screening means removing any dirty or "incidental" wool that is worthless and cannot be sold. To screen wool, you need to put it on a flat table or other flat surface. Spread them in a layer.
Remove the dirty or polluted wool outside the wool-including faded or tangled wool. This is often the case with wool on the abdomen, legs and buttocks.
Once the contaminated wool is removed, you can roll it up. The best way to accomplish this step is to fold the wool from the long side to the middle, and then roll the wool from one side to the other, so that the inside will be outward.
In this way, a delicate backpack is made, which is convenient for transportation and sales. Don't knot the rolled wool, it will reduce its value.