Early March is sheep shearing time here at Persephone.
The girls are expecting their lambs for early April and so this is the latest that we can shear them, without causing too much discomfort. I've been pregnant, I can appreciate this! We prefer to have the ewes shorn before lambing, because they have a lot of wool and this can make it difficult for the lambs to find the teats. And we prefer to have them lamb in April, when we can give them our attention. Come May, we are out in the garden, planting as fast as possible!
This year our shearer, Richard, had an injured shoulder. So Thorsten attempted to step up and help out with the shearing. He wasn't able to help as much as he had hoped -- shearing is a very high skill task. Literally a lot of moving parts (the actual tool, plus about 8 limbs). Each movement of the shearer is practised and balances speed, the quality of the wool, and the safety and comfort of both the animal and person. Richard was a patient and generous teacher. And all the sheep did get their hair cuts. So now we are ready for lambing season!
