Today was shearing day. I had 45 sheep that need to be sheared so it was a busy morning.
Eifion is my shearer from Wales. He has been shearing my sheep for a few years. He is a very nice guy and I got to stay at his place when I was over there almost 2 years ago in Wales. Eifion is not only a great shearer but he is eye candy too!! He will be embarrassed when he reads this!!
Eifion and Joe arrived at 7:45 a.m. as Ron and I were getting equipment set up Apparently Eifion called me last night and left a message which I didn’t get stating he would be here at 7:30-8, than the 9:00 time we had agreed upon. The shearing crew was not due to arrive until 8:30 to get set up. EEK!!
So Ron and I were scrambling to get the last bit of stuff set up as Eifion grabbed Callie to shear her. As he got done, more people showed up and we moved the tilt table and put sheep in the stalls. Courtney and Nancy arrived with Logan. Kathleen arrived with Emma. Courtney went to work quickly by stuffing the stalls with sheep with Logan and getting them all ready. Joe pulled the sheep out for Eifion to shear. Ron walked the sheep to the tilt table and loaded them. We flipped the table so Ron and I could do hooves. Nancy gave them the wormer and Courtney sprung into action as the vaccinator.
This crew was going full blast at 8:30 and by 9, Janet, Ben, Audrey had arrive, Sharyn and Susan the wool gatherers arrived too. Chuck rolled in later. By this time, we had a nice assembly line going.
Joe and Chuck wrangled the sheep out of the stall to Eifion. Eifion sheared the sheep in about 3 minutes. Ben walked the ewe to the tile table and loaded her. Ron and I did hooves. Courtney was the blue-coat sprayer in case of any cuts. Nancy held the legs for me to trim, since I am not at full strength yet. Janet was the tilt table swinger. Audrey, the Vet, was vaccinating the sheep. Kathleen was doing the worming.
After the sheep got the treatment on the “Janet’s Spa Tilt Table Deluxe”, they were run into the back lawn pasture. We had two sets of sheep. One set was the ewes that were close to lambing. The other set were not as far along or not breed. Once we got down with the Prego Gang, then Courtney shifted them to another pasture and put the second set into the stall to be sheared. Logan got some good works in by sorting, shifting and stall work. They were both troopers in this. Courtney was a happy, bubbly person today that made us smile.
Everyone was in a good mood and we made tons of jokes. The sheep were too thrilled about the event though!!
Eifion kept the pace moving and often we were behind him in trying to keep you. He was smoking and the sheep looked crisp and clean by the time he was done. Getty, the spouse, was up at the house and made pizza for us to eat. We got done shearing at 10, as the pizza was arriving. It was tasty and disappeared in seconds. Sharyn and Susan did great as the wool gatherers and I didn’t get to spend much time chatting with them I hope they didn’t think I was rude but I was busy. I hope they had fun.
We did 45 sheep today and we were tired. We tidied up the place and sat around and had coffee and pop. Then we watched dogs and pups play. Kira and Teal, the puppies had a blast playing like little demons. Janet brought cookie dough with chocolate chips and it was very rich so we snacked on that. I was on sugar over load with that and the two cokes I had….whew!!!
Courtney took quite a few pixs for me today as I was trimming hooves. Most of the pixs I took were blurry and it was because I was trying to shot in low level light. Courtney was much better and got some really nice pixs. So some of the pixs are mine and some are Courtney.
Eifion is my shearer from Wales. He has been shearing my sheep for a few years. He is a very nice guy and I got to stay at his place when I was over there almost 2 years ago in Wales. Eifion is not only a great shearer but he is eye candy too!! He will be embarrassed when he reads this!!
Eifion and Joe arrived at 7:45 a.m. as Ron and I were getting equipment set up Apparently Eifion called me last night and left a message which I didn’t get stating he would be here at 7:30-8, than the 9:00 time we had agreed upon. The shearing crew was not due to arrive until 8:30 to get set up. EEK!!
So Ron and I were scrambling to get the last bit of stuff set up as Eifion grabbed Callie to shear her. As he got done, more people showed up and we moved the tilt table and put sheep in the stalls. Courtney and Nancy arrived with Logan. Kathleen arrived with Emma. Courtney went to work quickly by stuffing the stalls with sheep with Logan and getting them all ready. Joe pulled the sheep out for Eifion to shear. Ron walked the sheep to the tilt table and loaded them. We flipped the table so Ron and I could do hooves. Nancy gave them the wormer and Courtney sprung into action as the vaccinator.
This crew was going full blast at 8:30 and by 9, Janet, Ben, Audrey had arrive, Sharyn and Susan the wool gatherers arrived too. Chuck rolled in later. By this time, we had a nice assembly line going.
Joe and Chuck wrangled the sheep out of the stall to Eifion. Eifion sheared the sheep in about 3 minutes. Ben walked the ewe to the tile table and loaded her. Ron and I did hooves. Courtney was the blue-coat sprayer in case of any cuts. Nancy held the legs for me to trim, since I am not at full strength yet. Janet was the tilt table swinger. Audrey, the Vet, was vaccinating the sheep. Kathleen was doing the worming.
After the sheep got the treatment on the “Janet’s Spa Tilt Table Deluxe”, they were run into the back lawn pasture. We had two sets of sheep. One set was the ewes that were close to lambing. The other set were not as far along or not breed. Once we got down with the Prego Gang, then Courtney shifted them to another pasture and put the second set into the stall to be sheared. Logan got some good works in by sorting, shifting and stall work. They were both troopers in this. Courtney was a happy, bubbly person today that made us smile.
Everyone was in a good mood and we made tons of jokes. The sheep were too thrilled about the event though!!
Eifion kept the pace moving and often we were behind him in trying to keep you. He was smoking and the sheep looked crisp and clean by the time he was done. Getty, the spouse, was up at the house and made pizza for us to eat. We got done shearing at 10, as the pizza was arriving. It was tasty and disappeared in seconds. Sharyn and Susan did great as the wool gatherers and I didn’t get to spend much time chatting with them I hope they didn’t think I was rude but I was busy. I hope they had fun.
We did 45 sheep today and we were tired. We tidied up the place and sat around and had coffee and pop. Then we watched dogs and pups play. Kira and Teal, the puppies had a blast playing like little demons. Janet brought cookie dough with chocolate chips and it was very rich so we snacked on that. I was on sugar over load with that and the two cokes I had….whew!!!
Courtney took quite a few pixs for me today as I was trimming hooves. Most of the pixs I took were blurry and it was because I was trying to shot in low level light. Courtney was much better and got some really nice pixs. So some of the pixs are mine and some are Courtney.
Eifion,the Welsh Shearer!!
Look at him go!!
Going quickly now.
The other side now.
All done now.
Kathleen, the Wormer Master.
Vet Audrey with the shots!
Janet and her “Janet’s Spa Tilt Table Deluxe”,
Nancy the sheep holder and Courtney, the all around gal, sorter, mover, blue coat sprayer and the one who took some of the great shots. And was keeping us laughing all day.
Ron, the one who traveled the farthest and doing all the behind the scenes stuff!!
Ben the sheep loader guy. Susan and Sharyn, the wool gatherers!! Sharyn will be using the wool for her project. Susan just wanted to come out and get dirty!!
The ewe is wondering what is going on!!
Chuck, one of the stall wrestlers.
Eifion...smiling.
Another smile. I am sure he was tired of me taking 
This is me!!
The gang at the tilt table. Me, Nancy, Kathleen and Janet.
Cosmo, the cat keeping tabs on all the humans in his barn.
This ewe decided fighting was not in the cards.
One ewe in the tilt table before it got tilted.
Some hoof trimming going on...this table saves your back from hurting. We used to flip them and trim them that way and that was very tough.
One of the last victims!!
Another shot of the Tilt Table gang. By everyone doing a small piece we were able to trim the hooves, vax and wormed in a couple of minutes.
All done and on the back lawn.
Frankie hanging out with his sheep.This year, we managed not to any of the crew hurt. Last year, one member (nameless) wrestled a runaway ewe to the ground. Never mind the fact; we have 15 Border Collies that could that job. She leaped and tacked the ewe and would give any steer wrestler and run for his money. Plus she got a cut above her eye and stitches. This year, she was not allowed to wrestle a steer….oops, I mean a ewe. I was very glad that no human were injured in this adventure!!
We all laughed and the morning went quickly. I really appreciate that everyone came out to help. It made the shearing go easier and made me realize that I do have a great group of friends.
Thanks to Ron (who drive all the way over from eastern WA, Nancy, Courtney, Kathleen, Janet, Audrey, Ben, Chuck, Susan, Sharyn and of course, Joe and Eifion. And to Logan to doing the sheep sorting and moving!! I bet he was pleased!
1 comment:
Eiflon? Um, yes, I concur. Tell him he needs to be in the sheep shearer calendar... April.
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