Woolly Herd
These fine-wooled Rambouillet ewes need to have their wool crop shorn before they begin lambing, which is set to begin in May.
|
Before
These wooly yearlings are penned and ready for their wool to be removed. An adult ewe will yield from eight to eleven pounds of wool.
|
Pen Chute
The sheep are penned and pushed up a chute into the shearing plant. The sheep shearers are working inside, with the wool moved out the front of the plant, and the
freshly shorn sheep leaving the plant via the ramps on the back.
|
Ram Inside
Rams are carefully moved up the chute and into the shearing plant. The rams know exactly where their
horn tips are and will tilt their heads to maneuver through narrow passages.
|
Wool Girl
In addition to the New Zealand shearers, the crew includes a “wool
girl,” who sorts the wool and bales it into 400-pound bales.
|
Comparing
The ewes sniff and greet each other after getting their new look.
|
Leaving
With professional shearers taking about three minutes per sheep, the freshly shorn flock is ready to go back to grazing.
|
Meadow
The shorn flock is turned back onto its grazing range.
|
|
