Shearing time on Whyteleaf Farm …

Spring time is the annual sheep shearing of our flock of sheep on Whyteleaf Farm. It is time to relieve the sheep of a year of wool growth. The wool help keep them warm in winter now is the time to help them keep cooler in the summer months. Some sheep breeds need no shearing at all – they “self shed” and some breeds need shearing more than once a year.
There are two options for sheep shearing, either manually with hand clippers or machine shearing.
Machine shearing is faster and leads to a closer shave, and maybe a few more niks on the sheep. Manually is better for the sheep in colder climates as the shearing is not as close to the skin, so a little wool is left and offers a bit of protection for the cooler weather. The fleece is removed from the sheep then it is “thrown” onto the wool table and cleaned of twigs, leaves, faeces, and skin fragments. It is then classed before being pressed into wool bales and sent to the wool auctions.