Written by Sarah Grosvenor, Executive Director
Come see our sheep shorn on May 10th between 10:30AM – 12:00PM.
We shear our sheep for many reasons, but most importantly to free the animal from their heavy wool coats before summer turns up the heat. Think of it as trading in a parka for a tank top. Shearing keeps them healthy and comfortable, and their wool is also a great benefit for the farmer who can use it in different ways.
Shearing is usually done once a year, but for our fluffy Icelandic Sheep, Curly, he gets this spa treatment twice a year.
Curly, the most handsome Icelandic Sheep
If you haven’t seen a shearing done before, it can be quite a surprising scene. It’s a bit like a sheep yoga session mixed with a trip to the barber. The sheep needs to be held in awkward positions while its fleece is removed with clippers. Just remember, despite the sheep being moved around and held during this process, they are much more comfortable when all is said and done!
Fun fact:wool is the only fiber in the world that retains its warmth when it is wet. That’s why a lot of winter clothing is made out of wool! Once our sheep are shorn, the wool will be sent out to be washed and carded. Carding is a mechanical version of teasing – it pulls fibers apart, removes short fibers, and gets all the fibers aligned in one direction. It basically makes it fluffy and ready to be spun into yarn for knitting.
Belichek, or “Beli,” our Romney Sheep
The hardest part about shearing day? Wrangling the sheep! We have to herd the sheep into their corral where they can be kept clean and ready for the shearer. This takes time and patience – and sometimes herding dogs! Once in their corral, the shearer will take one sheep at a time and shear the fleece off the sheep in sections, this happens so fast, it’s over before you know it! With a quick hoof trim and a check over, the sheep is off and back to the pasture, looking and feeling fabulous!
On May 10, between 10:30AM – 12:00PM, three of our sheep will be shorn. Anthony, our Katahdin sheep, gets to skip the salon—he has hair, not wool, and will shed naturally in spring. Curly (Icelandic Sheep), Annabella (Tunis Sheep) and Belichek (Romney Sheep) all will have their spring “haircut”. If you’re curious about the process, come by and watch—it’s shear entertainment!