Another Task Crossed Off - Shearing
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (325759)
Rockingham, Australia
December 16, 2015 4:31pm CST
On Monday, we took Hercules, our pet sheep, to be shorn. It can be difficult to find a shearer who is prepared to do one or just a few sheep. A service club, Lions, used to have a day when people with pets could take their sheep to a central place and have them shorn. When they stopped doing it, Vince put a post on a local Facebook page and we were able to find a shearer quite close by.
We loaded Herc on the trailer and took him off to be shorn. I didn’t get a photo of him jumping on to the trailer but you can see that he hops off without any trouble. He can cope with that but he won't do down the steps at the front of the house! Looking at these photos of him, it is clear that he is ageing. There will be a hole in our lives when he leaves us but hopefully he'll have a few more years of entertaining us.
7 people like this
9 responses
@JudyEv (325759)
• Rockingham, Australia
17 Dec 15
@jaboUK They would take much more care with sheep that were for exhibition. Sometimes they would use blade shears to try to leave a fraction more wool on so when it came to judging the sheep would appear to have a really long staple.
I've seen a few horses with rough clips too. :)
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325759)
• Rockingham, Australia
17 Dec 15
He must be 8 or 9 but is just starting to look his age. I was really pleased with the shearer. Although the coat is a bit bumpy he only has one tiny cut. Often there are dozens of small nicks and cuts. And don't they say there's only a few weeks between a bad haircut and a good one?
1 person likes this
@marguicha (215422)
• Chile
17 Dec 15
It is wonderful to read a post about this
. I don´t have pets as I live in a city.
. I don´t have pets as I live in a city.1 person likes this
@41CombedaleRoad (5952)
• Greece
21 Dec 15
@JudyEv we have three cats and 8 dogs and there is always the threat of a 9th dog because there are lots of abandoned dogs around this time of the year.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325759)
• Rockingham, Australia
21 Dec 15
@41CombedaleRoad That is a lot of animals to feed and care for. I think you are very big-hearted to look after so many.
@JudyEv (325759)
• Rockingham, Australia
17 Dec 15
We used to have lots of different pets but now we only have Herc.
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
16 Dec 15
neat that you can do that - hope is isn't cold without his coat on
2 people like this
@JudyEv (325759)
• Rockingham, Australia
17 Dec 15
It is lovely and warm here. If they're not shorn, they can become fly-blown which causes them great distress and can kill them.
@41CombedaleRoad (5952)
• Greece
21 Dec 15
It is sad to see pets ageing but it is better that they go before us, otherwise who would care for them when we are not around to do it. I like the idea of a pet sheep. Are they intelligent? Do you use his wool for something special after he is shorn?
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325759)
• Rockingham, Australia
21 Dec 15
They are not terribly intelligent although Herc knows it is the chain that holds his gate shut and if he could just work out how to undo it ..... His wool isn't particularly good and I don't have a spinning wheel now so I don't keep his wool.
His wool isn't particularly good and I don't have a spinning wheel now so I don't keep his wool.
