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SHEARING DAY SUPPLIES
by Linda Wendelboe
- Animal halters and lead lines.
- Blower (optional), narrow leaf rake or dog brushes.
- Brooms or vacuum cleaner to clean shearing area of any stray fleece and
second cuts before shearing each animal.
- Table for skirting and sorting ( 2" wire mesh hardware cloth or stucco
wire stretched over a frame of 2 by 4s and set up on saw horses
works well). 3’ x 6’ is a good size. (See:
BUILD A SKIRTING TABLE )
Scales for weighing fleeces.
Ruler for measuring staple length.
Individual fleece collection bags for each fleece.
- Clear plastic bags are OK but allow the
fleece to breathe if it is to be stored in plastic for any length of time.
- Fleece that is damp should not be put into plastic bags.
- Avoid polypropylene bags of any type as they can contaminate fleeces.
- Weigh bags beforehand so that this weight can be deducted from the total
when weighing the fleece in the bag after shearing.
- Labels for fleece bags.
- Garbage cans or other containers for refuse and
discarded fleece.
- S mall ziplock bags and small elastic bands (optional) for fleece samples,
if to be taken during shearing.
- Shears, extra blades, lubrication, if shearing yourself. If a shearer is
coming, check with them before hand for their specific requirements.
- Recording books or sheets and pens for recording information about each
fleece.
- First Aid Kit:
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Wonder Dust or other blood stop powder.
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Disinfectant.
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Vet wrap.
- Disposable surgical stapler for
closing long wounds or Suture Kit (from Vet).
- Animal coats in several sizes for
newly shorn animals that may be
exposed to inclement weather.
- Band Aids (for nicks to people)
- Plan to have a sufficient number of helpers to move and prepare sheep, weigh, sort and
skirt fibre and record information. If shearing a small number of sheep with
no time constraints, two or three people can manage all the jobs. If using the
services of a professional shearer to shear a large number of sheep, it is
useful to have enough helpers so that the shearer is not kept waiting while
fleece is removed and a new sheep is set up.
© Linda Wendelboe, 26/02/05
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