Shearing, almost
Posted: Tuesday 7 June, 2011
Our Ryelands have very heavy fleeces so I like to get them off as soon as I can. We have a new shearer this year, as our previous man is a bit far away. Sunday 5th June was the arranged day - cool, dry weather forecast. Perfect!
I had the tup and wether in and pens built when Garry arrived. Once he got his equipment sorted out, Dickie was first. Lovely tidy job done. Then Leo - have to say he was smaller than I expected once his fleece was off. It weighed 4kg, though.
Then it was on to the ewes. Now, I brought the ewes in as Garry was shearing Leo. Mistake- I should have brought them in first thing in the morning to let them empty their stomachs. First up was Luna, who is probably, with Lucy, our least friendly sheep. She was a kicker, which was a pain but probably saved her life. As Garry was shearing, she stopped kicking- she was unconscious!
Garry tipped her on to her chest and tried to revive her. I gave her some Lamb Kickstart (it was all I could think off). After about 10 minutes, she seemed fine. So we decided to call it a day and start again this Saturday. The ewes will be in early, believe me.
Luna seems none the worse for her near-death experience - her haircut's a bit odd though.
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