My poor woolly sheeple are ready to be sheared. It is not that hot – summer is determined to evade us – but still they are struggling in the non-existent heat and have decided that they hate all this wool.
I came outside and found ‘Ster lying down, unmoving. Oh, the worry. I thought he was dead.
I shouted to him and nothing. Then he just managed to open his eyes.
And straight back to sleep. After Puzzah’s unexplained demise, I worry possibly all the time.
Anyway, eventually ‘Ster stood up, stretched and said all was well. Phew!
‘Bert has a thick wool coat along with his classy rasta dreads.
He has the appalling affliction of horns that will kill him. They grow straight into his temples. A terrible design flaw and his horns will be cut right back.
‘Bert, too, hates all his wool and struggles under its compact weight.
There is the odd “hentilagit” too.
Last, Lambie who is not as miserable. But smelly. He is very very smelly.
He sits in a pile around the place with the accompanying whiff of strong pee. He doesn’t seem to mind. I do. The doors are always open.
So I have booked the shearer to come next week – hopefully Monday evening, all being well and then I will have some more beautiful fleece to work with.
Now to convince the Boyzenberries to come into the stable in the evening. I need to stock up on ginger biscuits. My sheep always know when I want them and have a nasty habit of vanishing immediately!
Everyone will be SO much more comfortable after the shearing – and ‘Bert is so lucky to have you looking after those deadly horns!
I had my sheep shorn in early April, as they lamb in early May. Even here in Upstate New York, they were tremendously happy to be rid of their fleeces. Once their fleeces were off, they were into walking and prancing around again, even in their pregnant state! Your sheep will soon be rejoicing!!!
Hello to Monster!!
Not having experience with sheep, except via your blog, I guess I don’t quite understand why you don’t shear them earlier. Other than the fact that you’d like to have their wool for doing art, why is it important that they have such heavy coats when it’s uncomfortable.
We get rid of the horses “winter” coats when the sun comes out and it starts to get warm and after checking to make sure it’s not just a “false spring or summer”. Isn’t always correct, but there’s always blankets if we’ve made a “too early” decision.
Your poor sheep look miserable and because you’re such a wonderful and loving human, am at a loss. Know you’ve got a reasonable explanation.
The outdoor weather is too cold. It is only just starting to come up in temperature. We are approximately ten degrees colder than mainland UK. Even now my shearer is debating whether to do this as much rain is forecast and temperatures will drop. It is a juggling act and I am one of the early ones.
Oh my goodness, ‘Ster looks like he’s melted into a heap. They are all so much bigger and woolier than I remember them last year. Maybe it’s the ginger biscuits that make their fleece grow??
Happy (eventual) shearing day!
Do they go into a sulk after shearing or just gambol out into the field?
They don’t recognise each other, so they argue. Lambie is always a bit deranged too.