Shearing Day

Danny makes shearing look easy. I got tired just watching. We actually got a head start on Thursday, because I was selling a batch of the wethers. Above an angora goat is getting sheared. Danny positions the goat exactly as he would a sheep. I have to use a stand, because I cannot control the goat and shear at the same time.

I managed to lure all of the goats into a pen by hauling the feed bucket in. I could not believe that I got ALL of them in with the first try. Usually there are a few that just won't go.Guess they were all starving - or they thought they were. All of the kids were able to walk through the panels, so they could come and go as they please. Three of them got playing on the tires. At one week old, they are already nibbling at hay. The kid in the wagon is hopping into it routinely to snack. He was asleep in it the other day.

Marc had placed some hay into Joshua's feed barrel.The kids are not afraid of anything yet. I caught a picture with my phone of the closest doe inside the pen and actually standing in the feed container. Joshua was not too happy about that, but he did not spit on her!

Fillip go this haircut on Friday afternoon because we knew that he would be nasty. We should have done Geoffrey also, because he was really mad when we did him this morning. Not a view fit for public consumption!

Update on babies - it has been quiet this week. Poppy, a Shetland ewe, had a ewe lamb on Tuesday night. Photos of her lamb are not really clear, so I will have to take others.

The best thing about shearing (besides a lot of gorgeous fleeces, is being able to see the udders on the dies and ewes. Some that I thought were imminent are a lot further out and some are very close. I just bet they are waiting until next weekend when I am at the 4th Avenue Street Fair.

Shearing will continue tomorrow until done. Two sheep will be reserved for shearing at 9 on Monday morning - for a school group. You are welcome to come and visit and watch the shearing.

Also, look for an article in the northwest section of the Daily Star on Thursday, March 19, 2009.We had a photographer come out and record the event for us. Now is that not cool?