Short back and sides please

This week we had the shearers come to the farm. We thought we were going to get an advanced warning but due to a misunderstanding that never happened, so the sheep were still loose in the field when he arrived. Luckily we got them in without too much trouble but, as always, there were a minority who played hard to get.

We don't routinely treat our sheep for fly-strike, and so it is always a relief once they have been sheared. The whole process is done quite quickly and the sheep don't seem too stressed by it. The friendlier ones are happy to come over for a back scratch once they are sheared.

This past years weather has had an adverse effect on the wool crop and some shearers are finding it hard work on their arms as they are having to use more force to push the electric shears through the fleece.