Why Sheep Get Shorn

Last Friday the sheep got shorn for the first time this spring. They will get shorn again before the county fair and as summer goes on. This time a local shear will come to the farm and give the sheep a quick shear and will even pay for the some of the nice wool. Throughout other times of the year the farmers themselves will shear the sheep in order to save money.

So why do sheep get shorn? Imagine wearing your winter coat outside on a 80 degree day. You would be drenched in sweat and feel lethargic not wanting to move or eat much. That’s how the sheep feel when they have a thick wool coat in summer. In order to keep the sheep from overheating and not feeling good they get shorn in early spring. It’s important to shear them in spring in order to avoid any unpredictable hot days. At the sheep farm near me they shorn either late April or early May.

The sheep will also eat more and gain weight faster when they are shorn compared to when they have a heavy coat. We want them to gain weight in order to grow and be big enough to competitively show and to make sure they don’t have stunted growth. Before the show season, they on pasture and are fed grain. The grain holds the minerals and vitamins that are crucial for a balanced diet. Like any young animal that grows fast, you want their body to be properly nutritioned and this can be interrupted if they have a heavy coat.

When sheep have a thick coat it can easily snag of numerous natural things in their environment. Sheep enjoy rubbing against the brush and fencing in order to scratch themselves. Many times the sheep end up getting some wool pulled out or getting a stick stuck in their coat. After a while they look messy and their wool might have patches from where they rub. This then is a clear sign it’s time to shear the sheep and give it a bath.

Have you ever tried to wash a wool blanket? The heavy wet blanket becomes very hard to get wet and especially wash and dry. Now imagine a sheep with three inches of wool on its sides. It doesn't matter how long you take you may never get that sheep fully washed. The tick wool mats down hiding the dirt and holding the water in. If you don't use the circulator (a large blowdryer) to dry the sheep then it could take days for the sheep to dry off naturally due to how wet it would have to be to properly wash the sheep. Now imagine all that dirty and grime constantly stuck and gathering under the wool. Soon the wool would discolor and the animal would start to smell. The skin would become irritated and in extreme cases could start to rot. A clean sheep not only looks great, but is healthy. Sheep aren't animals that need to be washed weekly and they can normally stay clean on their own if kept in the proper housing condition.

They get all cut up after getting sheared, right? No actually a skilled shear won't even nick the sheep once. The difficulty with sheep is that they have loose skin that wrinkles. It’s important if you are an amateur to have another person around to make sure the sheep's skin is taut when being sheared. This will assure that the sheep will not get any cut. Even if the sheep does get cuts they will be okay. It’s like when you shave your legs and cut your leg. It bleeds for a little bit, but soon it stops and it’s only a surface cut. These will heal super quick and the sheep aren't bothered too much by them.

Last friday my sheep and a couple others were shorn in order to stay cooler over the summer. I took before and after pictures of the four year old southdown ram and the two year old oxford ram. Both of these rams are quiet and gentle animals who can be easily handled. The next day after being shorn they are still quiet and gentle. These boys aren't panicking after being shorn, in fact, being shorn is crucial to having happy and healthy sheep.

Oxford Ram Before

Oxford Ram After

Southdown Ram Before

Southdown Ram After

Shearing sheep can seem questionable, but after reading this article I hope you understand why it needs to be done. The sheep are much happier when they don’t have to spend summer overheating and lethargic. When a sheep feels good they are happy and energetic. Afterall, a happy sheep is a healthy sheep.