When and why rams and sheep are sheared

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Experienced farmers always know at what time it is best to shear their wards in order to get the maximum benefit from this process and not harm the animals. But what should newcomers do who do not know when and how farmers shear rams and sheep? You should not be upset in such a situation, because it is not difficult, you just need to devote a little time and study the basic rules and subtleties.

Sheep and ram shearing

Sheep should be sheared in a timely and accurate manner. Different technologies are suitable for different breeds: for some, a haircut with a machine is more acceptable, for d = others, electric shears are suitable. The farmer must clearly know what his breed is in order to quickly and easily cut the sheep.

When to trim

Shearing a ram or sheep is an easy procedure. It is just as easy for animals as long as the timing is right. The main points you need to know to properly trim your cattle at home are:

• Shearing of sheep and rams with a homogeneous wool is done by the farmer annually in the spring. Animals should not be sheared more than once a year.
• Sheep and sheep with mixed wool are trimmed twice a year, best done during spring and autumn.
• For some coarse-haired breeds, the procedure can be carried out 3 times a year.
• For lambs, the period of the procedure should begin when they reach 5 months.
• If newborns have thin or semi-thin wool, do not touch it until it reaches 4-5 cm in length.
• Regardless of the region of residence of the farmer and the climatic zone, there is a single rule: to cut a haircut in a long warm period.
• You cannot overdo it with the previous point, so it is important to remember that in too hot climatic conditions the animal will become ill from excess heat. And if you cut off the fur a little before the onset of warmth, the animal can get sick, because the function of the hair on the animal's body is to regulate thermal processes.
• The farmer must always be ready. For coarse-haired individuals, it is important to catch the moment, otherwise molt will begin with the onset of warmth.
• The timing of the haircut should exclude the period of the transformation of wool into fleece, for which the most accurate days are calculated.

Shearing an animal: a sheep, a ram or a very small lamb is by no means difficult. It is only important to correctly determine its breed and quality of wool, so that your actions do not harm the beast.

It is a mistake to believe that it is necessary to cut the wool from a ram several times a year. It all depends on the climatic conditions of living and growing this breed. For some individuals, the haircut period occurs three times a year, and for some - once, and even then with difficulty. The most optimal for all breeds is the spring period, which includes all summer months: from the beginning of March to the end of May.

What to do for a smooth procedure

It is not enough just to choose the right date for shearing the sheep. Shearing sheep has a number of subtleties that it is better for a novice farmer to learn about in advance.Observing them, you can get quality products and not harm the animal. How to shear sheep correctly:

• the choice of the room should be made in advance in order to have time to prepare the place for the procedure (it is better to stay in a bright room, spacious and clean; tarp should be laid on the tables: this will help to avoid contamination and loss of wool);
• it is important to choose the right tool to cut; it should be either a machine or an electric shear (the first option is often easier, because the knife automatically cuts off the woolen cover from the animal, and the second option provides a more thorough trimming and a higher quality of the resulting material);
• manual labor is painstaking and requires great care: you need to cut the sheep's wool close to the skin, but in no case touching it; belly wool should be separated with a common fleece and packaged separately.

Good farmers cut their rams neatly, taking care not to cut the delicate skin of the animal with scissors. When doing the procedure by hand, the wool will be of a higher quality, and the price for such a product will, accordingly, increase. Correct shearing leads to the fact that the sheep feels comfortable and quite healthy, and its owner has a good profit and a high-quality farm.

The sheep shearing process must be done carefully.

Even after learning many subtleties and rules, the process itself may remain incomprehensible. A haircut should be done according to a certain algorithm:

• The sheep should be facing away from the farmer, that is, with the back and the densest woolly area towards the person.
• Clean the wool from weeds or dirt that has appeared in it. Make sure it is clean and dry.
• Cut thighs and rump, forelegs, hind legs and around the udder. After that, the sheared wool is put in a separate bag.
• After that, you need to start cutting the wool on the fleece. The sequence is simple: from the right hind leg in the groin to the right front leg. Do the same for the back and chest area.
• The next point is to turn off the clipper (or put the scissors aside) so that the shearer does not accidentally injure the animal, for which the shearing is already stressful.
• Turn the sheep over to the other side.
• Shave off the left shoulder blade and croup.
• Further haircut takes place neatly and in a strip-like manner (right side and lower back). During the procedure, wool should fall by itself on the laid surface of the table or floor.
• Switch off the cutter bar again or put it aside, change the position of the animal.
• Trim the area of ​​the croup and right shoulder blade.
• Cut off the fur in the area of ​​the animal's back with long stripe-like movements.
• After all this, the young sheep cut off the wool from the remaining areas: shave off the head and neck area.
• To work out the folds in the neck area, it is best to turn the animal transversely, only then process the necessary areas (right and left sides).
• After the procedure is over, gently release the sheep. The wool is collected and processing begins.

Shearing an animal, be it a ram or a sheep, is not so difficult. The sheep are sheared at the same time as the sheep are sheared. This usually happens 1 to 3 times a year. Often, farmers make the mistake of ignoring the appearance of the animal's coat, thereby harming the young individual. How many times a year a sheep needs to be sheared is directly related to its breed.

After the first haircut, you can immediately do the procedure annually. It is recommended to repeat it for as many years as necessary. If the farmer has a couple on the farm, then it is better to cut the hair at the same time. So animals feel more comfortable and better survive a stressful situation.

Sheep shearing method

For shearing sheep, you can hire a specialist for whom this is a profession. Such people usually have several years of experience.They do the job efficiently and quickly, but it's best to learn how to do the procedure yourself: this will save money and bring more benefits. Novice farmers should not bother themselves with all sorts of modern devices and wonder what rams are sheared and where to get tools. There are 2 ways to keep in mind:

• specialized machine;
• scissors for hand-made pruning.

All other devices have not yet received widespread recognition, they are used only by experienced breeders with many years of experience who know all the features of the process: beginners can harm their livestock.

Conclusion

When sheep are sheared, it is best to maintain a calm environment and maintain a quiet atmosphere. If there is any misunderstanding and panic starts, the animal will definitely feel it. The goat's buzzing and bad behavior can be a response. To calm the animal, it is best to carry out the procedure in a well-prepared place: clean, dry, familiar to the goat. It is best if the farmer has an assistant: this makes the task much easier.

The very process of shearing goats or rams is not complicated. It is easy to learn for beginners, so you can shear wool annually and independently. The experience remains for several decades, it is enough to learn once.