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["Gloria Morris" <gloriamorris59 AT gmail.com>]

My big ram, the older one, was enormous. My scale was not large enough
to weigh him, so I don't know exactly how heavy he was, but he was way
over 300 pounds. His daughters grew to be sizeable also (and his sons
grew big and fast and tasted awesome). My shearer had to cast that ram
on his side to get him shorn. And yes, it was a battle, and I wasn't
sure each time I got someone to shear that beast if I'd ever get that
shearer to come back! Even though the shearer was about 6'4" or so, he
could not shear that ram in the traditional positions - that big boy
was just too big to reach! And, that shearer wasn't from my area. He
traveled to my area to shear the few flocks there. There were not a
lot of shearers available, and if he'd have quit, well, I'd have quit
raising sheep sooner than I did, I guess! Needless to say, given my
size I would need more petite sheep to ever hope to get them shorn on
my own!

For small scale production, not commercial, if one had really tame
sheep that were broke to a fitting stand, one might be able to shear
sheep while they stood on that. I ran into a hand spinner with a few
sheep, and she does it that way. I might try breaking sheep to a
fitting stand if I ever get a few to supply my own spinning - would be
a back saver even with small sheep - it's just finding the TIME to get
them sufficiently well broke.

There are good reasons to buy fleeces. :-)

Gloria

On 2/9/07, Lynn Wigglesworth <lynnw1366 AT hotmail.com> wrote:
> Finding a shearer in this area at all is hard. I have a great one and I
> dread the day he decides to get out of the shearing biz. I have Romneys,
> too. My ram is a big old guy, probably 300 pounds (and it isn't all fat);
> he's 10 years old and pretty laid back, but stubborn as a mule. My shearer
> saves him until last...they wreastle around with much kicking and sweating
> and swearing. I should sell tickets :-)