Sheep shearing video for beginners 2022

Sheep farming, how to shear sheep, shearing sheep, machine shearing sheep, machines for shearing sheep.

As you know, sheep are kept not only and not so much for meat, but for their wool; besides, this resource is renewable and generates income. Therefore, the topic of sheep shearing is always in demand and interesting to farmers. Previously, sheep were sheared by hand, but over time, technology is developing and in most large farms, machine shearing is used for shearing. Manually shearing sheep is a very labor-intensive process; you won’t be able to shear more than 30 sheep a day, which is basically normal if you have a small number of sheep. If you have a large herd, or it’s simply expensive to spend a lot of time on shearing, then a sheep shearing machine is what you need, with its help you can shear 2-3 times more sheep without spending great strength. the New Zealand method of shearing sheep has become very fashionable ; it is very fast.

Sheep shearing is a mandatory procedure in fine-fleece and semi-fine-fleece sheep farming, even if you are not going to sell the wool or use it in any other way.

This procedure improves the coat, trimming is carried out as the coat grows, and attention is also paid to its condition. Often, female sheep are sheared a month before lambing, while the rest are sheared before going out to pasture. The wool is also trimmed, if in some specific areas it needs it; not the entire sheep is sheared, but problem areas.

The catching of sheep and subsequent transportation to the place of shearing takes place, as when shearing, using the high-speed method, the shearing begins from the right paw up to the sternum, then the same procedure is done with the left paw. They pass with a machine from the metacarpal joint to the end of the paw and back. Then they begin to cut the head, after that, they cut near the udder and in the lower abdomen, covering the nipples with one hand, the next in line is the inner surface of the hind legs, after that they move to the back, starting from the tail area. Is it worth mentioning that the person who picks up the wool must divide it into 3 parts: “cut”, “dung” and “foot” and pack them separately.

All livestock (if these are coarse-wool and semi-coarse-wool breeds) lambs are shorn, shorn in the first year of life, semi-fine-wool and fine-wool breeds - by choice. Breeds of coarse-wool and semi-coarse-wool sheep are sheared at the age of six months to eight months; when shearing semi-fine-wool and fine-wool sheep, they are guided by the following principles; if lambs are sheared when their wool reaches a length of 5-6 cm, and they should be born in winter or early spring, and have a given coat length at the beginning of August. When fine-fleece and semi-fine-fleece breeds have colored coats or health problems, they are not shorn.

Sheep shearing requirements:

1. -A working machine for shearing sheep, without any problems in operation.
2. -The cutting pair should under no circumstances be dull.
3. -You must ensure complete grip of the fur.
4. -Follow safety precautions
5. -Do not skip sections of wool; if there are tufts of wool left, go through the machine again.
6. -Maintain the integrity of the fleece.
7. -Try not to injure the animal, handle it with care.

After shearing, the sheep should be examined by a veterinarian or senior shepherd and, if necessary, provided medical assistance. After inspection, it is necessary to carry out preventive treatment of sheep. Do not forget that after shearing, sheep are susceptible to colds, so during the first days of cold weather or rain, sheep should be kept in warm rooms.

This concludes our article on sheep shearing, we hope our tips can help you choose which method (manual or using a sheep shearing machine) is right for you, see you next time and good luck in sheep farming!

Safety precautions

Safety instructions:

1. When connecting the device to the network, make sure that the switch is in the “off” position.
2. Connect the plug only to a properly functioning outlet, with a power corresponding to the performance of the device.
3. Keep away from children.
4. Cleaning and all other work with blades should be carried out only after disconnecting from the power supply.
5. Before starting work, check and tighten all pins.
6. During shearing, the ram must be secured.
7. While working with the machine, periodically tighten the pins, adjusting the pressure of the blades.

Sheep are a valuable source of meat, milk and wool. To optimize the production of the latter, you need to purchase a good shearing machine that will have sufficient power to process the animals available. In addition to the strength of the engine, focus on ease of use and the ability to replace parts.

How to properly shear sheep

Sheep shearing is a procedure regularly carried out by sheep farmers, regardless of the purpose of breeding the animals. Even if they are raised not for wool, but for meat production, it is necessary to shear sheep, because overgrown fur falls off, dries worse after rain and disrupts normal thermoregulation - an unshorn animal is more susceptible to disease. To make the work faster and more efficient and not harm the sheep, you need to know the rules of shearing and the features of caring for the tool - scissors or an electric machine for shearing sheep.

Raising sheep for wool

Features and timing

The first thing you need to know is when to shear your sheep. In this case, two factors should be taken into account: weather conditions and how overgrown the animal is.

The main condition is consistently warm weather, otherwise the furless animal may freeze and get sick. However, you should not wait for the July heat - fur protects the sheep not only from the cold, but also prevents it from overheating.

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If sheared in hot weather, she may lose her appetite, which will affect income if animals are raised for slaughter. In addition, in summer, wool is easily contaminated with burdock and other plants, which causes sheep shearing knives to wear out faster and the fleece to lose quality.

Sheep before shearing

The rate of hair growth and its structure determine the frequency of haircuts. If the fleece is homogeneous, the procedure is carried out once a year, if mixed - twice a year. Most often, sheep are sheared in the spring, before the beginning of June. The second time the wool is removed at the end of summer, no later than September, so that the animals have time to grow it back before the onset of cold weather.

Particular attention should be paid to lambs and rams with mixed wool. The cubs are shorn when they reach 5 months of age. If their wool is thin or semi-fine, you need to wait until it grows at least 4 cm. Rams definitely need to be sheared before the heat sets in, since when it warms up they begin to shed and lose fluff - shearing sheep will become less profitable.

It is best to do this in the spring, without waiting until June.

Advantages and disadvantages of different types of haircuts

You can use sheep shearing scissors or different models of electric sheep shearing machines. The choice is based, first of all, on how many heads need to be shorn - if the herd is large, there may simply not be enough strength to process it with hand tools; but scissors are much cheaper. Both options have both their advantages and disadvantages.

There are two types of manual sheep shears:

• Double - this type of tool is easier to work with and is better suited for beginners;
• Single knives are essentially two knives cast from a single piece of metal, which means they require more strength to operate.

Manual shearing of sheep - with scissors

Manual shearing of sheep has two advantages: mechanical tools are cheaper than electric shears, more wool is cut, since the knives can be closer to the skin of the animal. Because of this, this method is more economically beneficial for small farms.

There are more disadvantages to shearing sheep with scissors:

• Labor intensive - you have to perform a large number of monotonous actions;
• Danger - without experience it is easy to injure the skin;
• Duration - the work takes more time, and a large livestock may not be able to be shorn in time;
• Possibility of damage to the fleece.

If you don’t have the skills to remove wool, it’s better to pay attention to sheep clippers - they are more expensive, but they will last a long time, so the costs will definitely pay off.

Sheep shearing with a clipper

Electric shears allow you to quickly process large livestock without difficulty for the shearer or harm to the animals. Their only drawback is their higher price. It is worth noting that even when using a machine, you still need to have scissors to cut out tangles.

Homemade machine

A homemade machine for sharpening knives of manual shearing equipment can be built from a belt sander. To do this you need:

1. Select sanding belts 100 mm wide with a consistent increase in grit (180, 400, 800, 1,000, 1,500, 2,000, 2,500).
2. Glue a piece of glass onto the soleplate of the grinder to increase the smoothness of the surface.
3. Attach sandpaper to the glass.
4. Next, the knife should be placed on a flat surface. For fixation, you can hammer a couple of nails into the tabletop, having first bitten off their heads with pliers. Place the part to be sharpened between them.
5. Turn on the grinder and move it forward (not in a circular motion) along the dull surface of the knife until it is completely sharpened.

It is important to understand that this method is only suitable for hand-held devices (scissors, hand-held machine). An imported electric machine requires professional sharpening in specialized centers

General rules for shearing sheep

Before the procedure, the animals are not fed for 24 hours and are not given water for 12 hours so that they behave calmer; In addition, the wool will be cleaner this way. If the fleece is wet, you need to wait for it to dry, since drying it separately from the sheep can spoil it.

Work is carried out in a clean and dry room. It is best to use a sheep shearing table covered with a tarpaulin - this will make it easier to collect the cut wool. The procedure is as follows:

1. The animal is laid on its left side with its back to the shearer, so that its legs do not rest on anything.
2. First, the paws, the area around the tail and the belly around the udder are clipped. The nipples should be covered with your palm to avoid injury. The fur from these parts of the body is deposited separately.
3. A strip is cut along the belly from the groin area to the sternum, then the belly and chest are completely trimmed.
4. The equipment for shearing sheep is turned off and put aside, the animal turns over on its other side.
5. The remaining parts of the body are trimmed (first the shoulder blades, then the croup, sides, withers, back, head and lastly the neck). Long strips should be cut without going over one area more than once.
6. Skin damage can be treated with any antiseptic.

The procedure is the same regardless of whether you are using an electric or manual sheep clipper.

Sheep clipped

After the procedure, the animals are fed in reduced portions to avoid digestive upset. To avoid illness and sunburn, you should not take your flock to distant pastures and graze it during the day until the fur grows back. It is best to stay in the shade or under a canopy.

Choosing a machine and caring for it

To make wool production profitable, you need not only to know how to shear sheep correctly, but also to be able to choose equipment. In order for a hair clipper to realize all its advantages, when purchasing you need to pay attention to the following criteria:

1. Power - the cutting speed depends on it.
2. Noise level. Sheep have sensitive hearing and are frightened by any sharp sound, so a quiet machine will significantly simplify the work and reduce the risk of injury to the animal.
3. Reliability and maintainability. Even the best quality tools wear out over time, knives become dull, parts have to be replaced - spare parts must be available.

You should also find out the most popular models of the tool, since choosing a machine for shearing sheep in this case will be even easier. Various domestic and foreign electric scissors meet the requirements:

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1. MSU-200 is a Russian-made machine, most popular in the CIS countries due to the ease of purchasing spare parts. It has a powerful asynchronous motor and a convenient design, allowing you to cut up to 160 heads per day.

   
   Sheep clipper – MSU 200

2. The Dimi series from ZXS are Chinese sheep clippers with rich functionality. They not only cut hair of any type well, but also blow air on the skin, calming the animal.

   
   Sheep clipper – Dimi Series from ZXS

3. GTS are Swiss cars, silent and vibration-free. They do not have replacement knives included.

   
   Sheep clipper – GTS

4. Liscop is a German tool that is highly reliable. Allows you to cut up to 1000 heads per season.

   
   Sheep clipper – Liscop

5. Monella is an inexpensive and convenient Chinese instrument. The use of this shearing apparatus for shearing sheep has one drawback - the poor quality of the steel, which does not allow sharpening the knives. But new parts are easy to get; they can be used with higher quality machines.

   
   Sheep clipper – Monella

6. Takumi are Japanese devices that are characterized by their light weight and low noise level.

   
   Sheep clipper – Takumi

In order for wool processing equipment to serve for a long time, it must be properly cared for. In the case of hair clippers, the following rules must be observed:

• Immediately after the procedure, the knives are cleaned of hair with a brush;
• Do not use household chemicals for cleaning;
• Knives should be oiled regularly;
• If the cutting quality decreases, the knives need to be sharpened or replaced;
• The tool must be stored in a protective case;
• The clipper must not be used to groom other animals or people.

Popular models, characteristics

Rating of the most popular hair clippers:

1. "KAISON-500" - American made model. It is distinguished by a powerful engine, the ability to control the speed of revolutions, as well as dual cooling systems. There is an air filter inside the device that prevents contamination by dust and debris of various origins, which increases the service life. The machine is equipped with high-precision bearings, which are responsible for reducing noise during operation, which greatly simplifies cutting. One such device can process 400–500 heads of livestock.

2. "Vortex SC0903b" — the equipment is equipped with comb-shaped cutting knives, which are positioned against the animal’s skin in a stationary state. It is possible to regulate the pressure between the cutting elements using the handle. There is a double motor cooling system, as in the previous version. Allows you to shear up to 500 heads of livestock in a short period of time.

3. "MSU 200" — equipped with an asynchronous motor that operates without carbon brushes, which reduces its heat losses. The work is carried out from a current frequency converter that produces a safe 3-phase voltage, thereby increasing the power of the equipment. This machine can be operated continuously for 10–12 hours.

4. "BERGER F6-SA" - a lightweight wireless variation, equipped with 2 lithium-ion batteries that can be charged at any time. Perfect for use in areas where there is no power grid. The knife block is replaceable.

5. "Hurricane" - has increased power. There is a speed control system. Equipped with a double grille for air intake, which ensures engine cooling.

How to shear sheep with an electric clipper?

How to properly herd sheep so that they grow high-quality wool? The owner of the flock will be able to receive a good additional profit from the flock when he has his own sheep shearing machine .

Animal grooming technology

Twice a year the modern flock owner shears his sheep. Dangerous spring shears have long been obsolete and are very rarely used in livestock farms. You can get the desired result faster and easier using a special electric machine. Professionals perform high-speed processing of one animal in just 100 seconds.

To shear sheep efficiently, you need to buy an electric sheep shearing machine . The haircut is carried out on a wooden table-platform one meter high, square in shape, 1.5 m wide. The electrical outlet must be located above the workplace at a height of at least two meters.

To improve the quality of shearing, work is carried out in dry weather in the morning, until the animals are fed. It is necessary to comb out the remaining vegetation from the wool, which reduces the quality and cost of the fleece.

If the shearer is inexperienced, it is recommended to tie three of the sheep's legs before shearing and leave the front leg free. They start cutting from the muzzle, without touching the ears, then move on to the neck, shoulder blades and chest. The groin of the untied leg is carefully processed, folding the short hair separately, and proceeds to carefully trimming the belly. The fleece is removed from the back, the animal is turned over on the other side, the legs are tied again and the process is repeated from the beginning.

Profitability of keeping “wool” breeds

Before you start raising sheep for wool, it’s a good idea to inquire about its cost in your area. The considerable costs of transporting these bulk products do not allow them to earn a decent income from them.

When choosing wool breeds, you need to take into account the special value of wool from semi-fine and fine wool breeds. However, such animals require special care, so many people prefer to breed breeds of unpretentious sheep with coarse wool.

In livestock farming it is impossible to do without shearing machines. You need to find out where you can buy a sheep shearing machine and have the craftsmen well trained to do this kind of work. They must cut the wool so carefully as not to injure the animals or spoil the expensive fleece.

The machine requires proper care, regular cleaning, lubrication and timely replacement of knives. After use, the tool is cleaned with a brush, wiped with alcohol and lubricated with machine oil. To use the machine for as long as possible, it should be stored in a special case.

Sheep shearing by hand

This method is used mainly on small livestock. This is primarily due to the fact that the method is labor-intensive and requires a large number of movements, accuracy and strength. Sheep have difficulty withstanding such prolonged manipulation of their body, which can often lead to injury and damage to the fleece. For manual cutting, one cannot do it alone and it is better to organize an assistant who will hold the animal. It is also worth noting that the wool should be dry, such wool is easier to cut.

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The tool is used in two types:

1. Double scissors. Easy to operate, they make cutting hair much easier. Especially suitable for people who are new to this business; 2. Single scissors. More difficult to control, suitable for professional shearers.

On average, the cost of such a tool is 1.5-2 thousand rubles.

Who is a “sheep” barber?

As is known from history, at the dawn of sheep farming, sheep were sheared mainly by shepherds or, as they are also called, shepherds. But when they couldn’t cope, they had to hire additional people. In those distant times, it was not customary to pay a lot of money for shearing sheep, and the breeders of this cattle were mostly poor people, so they had nothing to pay. Therefore, when necessary, people were hired who did not require much payment or were willing to work only for food. This segment of the population included former prisoners, hired servants or slaves, as well as other low-income segments of the population.

Every year the demand for such workers grew. A small part-time job turned, although not into a highly paid job, into a sought-after profession, and those who did it began to be called “shearers.” Although the shearer primarily sheared sheep, his skills and responsibilities also included shearing other livestock. The entire procedure was carried out with special, very sharp scissors. Working with them required a certain skill, because if used incorrectly, the animal could be injured.

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The first automatic animal trimming machines appeared in Australia in 1888. This made the shearers' task much easier. By 1915, more than half of Australian shearers were using these steam-powered machines. Then, after the advent of the internal combustion engine, the device was significantly modified. Such improved machines were distributed to farms as soon as fuel could be delivered to them.

Automation of the process simplified and sped up the work many times over, and now the farmer himself could shear a fairly large livestock in a short period of time, but the shearing profession did not disappear. On the contrary, now it required even more additional knowledge and people who knew how to operate automated technology became even more valuable. It is also interesting that each shearer had to have special clothes in which he carried out the haircut procedure.

Shearer's overalls

This will sound a little funny, but the shearer’s clothes should protect him from the same sheep. The fact is that during shearing the animal often kicks and can hit with a hoof or other free part of the body. So, overalls consist of a shirt, pants and a pair of boots.

• Shirt. The main requirement for it is the presence of thickening stripes made of fairly dense material, which are located under the shearer’s hands. The legs of the sheep that will be sheared will also be there.
• Trousers. Well, pants are jeans or trousers made of very thick cotton fabric. They should have a double layer of fabric sewn on them at the front and the same layer at the back in the shin area (lower part of the legs).
• Boots. There are two versions of the shoe. The first one is classic. These are leather boots with elastic edges, laces and a front flap. The second option is more modern - moccasins. They are made of synthetic fiber and have laces on the outside. These moccasins need to be washed frequently to avoid carrying various diseases and parasites.

Machine shearing of sheep

This machine is often used on farms with large livestock. This method allows you to trim animals as quickly as possible.

This method is also divided into two types:

1. Hair cutting machine. It is used on large sheep farms, where the process is organized in the form of a conveyor and is semi-automatic; 2. The sheep clipper looks like a hairdressing clipper. The knife is durable and works at high blade speeds. Price range is seven thousand rubles or more.

Operating rules

Basic rules for operating electric machines:

1. Study the instructions for the specific type of equipment.
2. Use only for its intended purpose.
3. Do not drop the device.
4. While cutting, make sure that the blades are not pressed too hard against the surface of the animal’s skin.
5. For lubrication, use only machine oil intended for this equipment (diesel cannot be used for this purpose).
6. Lubricate the cutting blades every 10 minutes to improve glide.
7. Sharpen blades only in special workshops.
8. Store the device in accordance with the operating instructions.

Did you know? The viewing angle of a sheep is 300° due to the special structure of the eye.

Preparing sheep for shearing

1. Keep animals without food and water for up to 12 hours. So that the animal can easily tolerate the haircut and the fur is not stained with urine; 2. The wool should be dry, since when wet it is more difficult to cut and quickly deteriorates; 3. Weeds and dirt are removed from the coat.

Haircut stages

The room is being prepared; it must be dry. A table is placed and covered with moisture-proof material so that the wool does not become dirty or wet.

1. The animal is turned over on its left side so that the hooves do not touch the floor surface; 2. Scissors are used to cut off wool that has become tangled; 3. Start cutting from the groin area and cut a strip up to the chest (it is necessary to cover the nipples so as not to cause injury to the animal);

4. After this, the animal is turned over on the other side and the hair is cut from the shoulder blade to the croup;

5. After this, move to the back. To do this, the animal’s head is held with the hand, the body is fixed with the legs and cut in long stripes;

7. The same place is not sheared twice, so that the fleece does not lose its quality; 8. The wool from the belly and legs is folded separately from the main fleece.

1. Before shearing, sheep are kept for 12 hours without food; 2. Cuts on the animal’s body are treated; 3. Feed is introduced gradually to prevent overeating and digestive problems; 4. After a haircut, animals become vulnerable to colds, so you should not graze them in bad weather or leave them in the cold; 5. In the summer, a shelter is built for the sheep so that the animals can hide from the scorching sun. You should also avoid cutting your hair in extreme heat. This leads to a decrease in appetite and various plants such as burdock may stick to the wool and the quality of the wool may decrease; 6. Sheep with coarse wool should be sheared on time. With the onset of warmth, molting occurs and valuable fluff disappears.

Haircutting at home goes through the same steps, but mostly using regular sharp scissors.

Fleece storage

Upon completion of all work, it is necessary to sort the wool. Those parts that are clean, long, will need to be separated from the chaff and low-quality material. Even if it is simply stained with urine and other impurities. Some breeders wash the resulting raw materials with a soap-soda solution. After this, the raw materials are left spread out to dry. The drying room must be well ventilated and dry. After drying, the fleece is placed in bags made of natural materials so that they breathe. The fleece can be stored in this condition. The main thing is that the room is ventilated and bright. Similar storage of dirty wool that has not been washed. True, washed wool can be spoiled by moths over time, but dirty wool will have protection and moths will never damage it. She will be scared off by the strong smell of the animal. This does not affect the value of the fleece, so it can be stored as convenient. She will have her qualities in any case.

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When sheep are sheared

Animals with uniform hair are clipped once in the spring, while those with mixed coats are clipped in spring and early autumn. Coarse wool sheep undergo this process two to three times a year. Lambs are shorn at 5 months of age in the summer, with a coat length of 4 cm or more.

Unified haircut timing

Spring - end of May - beginning of June (the first haircut is needed so that the animal has time to grow hair for winter). After shearing, the fleece is straightened, shaken, and re-cleaned of dirt. Then it is rolled into a roller and put away for storage.