The glamour never stops here at Leyden Glen Farm. Five short videos from our really big day shearing sheep.
Cast of characters:
Three shearers - Kevin Ford with blades, Bruce Clement and Gwen Hinman with electric shears
Two sheep wranglers - The Farmer Mark and Neighbor Tom
Three wool handlers - niece Kimberly, friend Addie and me
One jack of all trades teenager - Matthew - he's the one jumping on the wool in the wool bag and helping to wrangle sheep.
I guess it sounds very noisy because 2 out of the 3 first comments I have gotten is that the sheep don't sound very happy. Here's the thing.... when the sheep is being shorn they just lay there as the shearer moves its body around, clipping the wool, not in any pain. And not making a peep. The shearing takes about 3 minutes. The background BAAAHHHHHing is from all the other sheep who are out in the field. They get really noisy and constantly baaaahhh. Some of them are looking for their lambs and some are just vocal. It is pretty loud with the noise of the electric shears and the baahhing but you just get used to it. Leave any more questions you have in the comments and I will try to answer them this evening.
Shearing is done for another year. We will be taking all of the clip to sell to a Wool Pool in Cummington, MA this weekend. Enjoy!
Shearing is done for another year. We will be taking all of the clip to sell to a Wool Pool in Cummington, MA this weekend. Enjoy!
7 comments:
I'm having a chuckle listening to the sheep. They sound like a bunch of children making sheep noises!
I am wondering whether you get used to the incessant baa-ing and start to tune it out or whether it is completely driving you crazy by the end of the day!
I was wondering the same thing as Bridget. They don't sound like very happy campers.
I hadn't even gotten to the film clips of the shearing when I noticed the comments everyone had left about the noise of sheep. I had to laugh. We raise sheep too so we had the same kind of comments when there is any one around that does not have sheep. People, they are noisy. Sheep in the field eating are quiet because they are only concern is their belly but start working with them in any manner and they get vocal, very vocal. They are not hurt or really that upset, they just want to talk,loudly. After a while they quite down, well until they find another reason to tell you what they think. Thanks for sharing the videos with us. It is nice to be on the other side looking in for once.
Oh yes, always noisy-LOL! Looks like the weather was really nice too:-)
It's fun to get a little glimpse of Kevin Ford shearing- I don't thnik I've seen anyone here with blades- but I bought some blades a few years ago to use on our Old Norwegian. They stay the summer on the monastery island of Selja, and there is no electricity out there...they normally lose the wool, but we have to help some of them getting it off. They should have been shorn now, but it's been so wet it has been impossible.
Good luck at the wool pool:-)
I love hearing all of the diverse sheepy voices! It also made me giggle. I imagine, though, that after a while you'd want to yell "shut up"! My kids also have a way of saying the same thing over and over and over that they find hilarious and I find annoying. Sheep and kids...
love the videos -- just curious -- how many head did you shear in a day?
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