Re: [fibernet] shearing question

[Julie Poudrier]

Hi Barb,
There are still some sheep lists. Sheep-L is still going strong, and there's 
also a Yahoo group called SheepOntheNet.

In answer to your question, I think you should shear them. A couple of years 
ago, I was asked to bring some karakul yearlings to the MD sheep and wool 
festival. I hadn't shorn them that fall as they were still lambs and not doing 
them saved me time and effort, and their fleeces were awful (embarrassingly 
so). Of the old-time karakul raisers I talked to, all sheared lambs in the fall 
and all had gorgeous fleeces in time for the festival the first weekend in May. 

Last year I didn't do a fall shearing at all, and aside from the fact that my 
shearer (an old-time "gun" shearer) found them more difficult to shear (and 
said so), the fleeces were pretty much useless.

Julie Poudrier
Willow's Rest
Liberty, NC
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: karakulweaver 
  To: fibernet@yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Friday, September 18, 2009 11:49 AM
  Subject: [fibernet] shearing question


    Any sheep people on the list?
  what happened to all the sheep lists [or are there still some ?]
  is it allowable to post sheep questions on here? if not could you steer me in 
the right direction. need some opinions.
  i am debating what to do about some lambs - do i shear them, or let the wool 
grow till spring [ they are starting to felt] i dont want it to get worse and 
ruin the fleece, so should i shear them so i at least have a useable fiber?
  but i prefer loooooooooong staple. i could use it for felting if i shear it 
now, borderline of being too short to spin [but for me ,if it's not 3'' it's 
borderline]
  any suggestions ? - normally i shear two times a year, but i lambed later 
this spring instead of late winter, so the lambs fleeces are not as long.
  thanks for any advice !
  Barb
  www.barnettsheepandwool.com



  

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