This is old news actually, but my phone refused to upload it as it was in an “I hate Skipper” mood, then I lost it in a field, and have only just replaced it and been able to get the pictures off with my shiny new HTC Wildfire S…. more on that later 
So, on the 17th of June (Yes, it’s very out of date) we moved our sheep flock up from Botton Farm up to Stormy Hall Farm, about a mile away on the other side of the valley. We have about 35 sheep (It’s either 34 or 36, I never remember), a mixture of lambs and mothers, and one “tup” or male sheep. The purpose of the move was for the sheep to be sheared.
We moved the entire flock by hand, a few in front, and a few behind, but we sort of lost the flock as they all split up and ran. A couple ended up in a leek field, some ran the right way to Stormy Hall…. in the end, with the help of the neighbouring farmer, Mr Tate, and his well placed quad bike, we managed to chase them out of the fields back up the road and into the Stormy Hall barn.
In there the farmer, Colum, demonstrated hand sheering, manhandling the sheep and using clippers rather than an electric cutter to remove the wool. I took one of the last sheep to be done, and begun to cut the wool off, first from the brisket, then down the hind leg. After a while, Jana, a garden trainee, came along and wanted a go, so we both took part in sheering this sheep….. I think the average time for the experts is about 3-5 minutes… I am pleased to say ours took 2 hours to sheer one sheep…… Though we didn’t cut it once!
So, on the 17th of June (Yes, it’s very out of date) we moved our sheep flock up from Botton Farm up to Stormy Hall Farm, about a mile away on the other side of the valley. We have about 35 sheep (It’s either 34 or 36, I never remember), a mixture of lambs and mothers, and one “tup” or male sheep. The purpose of the move was for the sheep to be sheared.
We moved the entire flock by hand, a few in front, and a few behind, but we sort of lost the flock as they all split up and ran. A couple ended up in a leek field, some ran the right way to Stormy Hall…. in the end, with the help of the neighbouring farmer, Mr Tate, and his well placed quad bike, we managed to chase them out of the fields back up the road and into the Stormy Hall barn.
In there the farmer, Colum, demonstrated hand sheering, manhandling the sheep and using clippers rather than an electric cutter to remove the wool. I took one of the last sheep to be done, and begun to cut the wool off, first from the brisket, then down the hind leg. After a while, Jana, a garden trainee, came along and wanted a go, so we both took part in sheering this sheep….. I think the average time for the experts is about 3-5 minutes… I am pleased to say ours took 2 hours to sheer one sheep…… Though we didn’t cut it once!
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