Today on Bonnie's Barnyard (NBC26 - WGBA) Farmer Pat shows us how he shears Mulberry Lane Petting Farm's sheep taking them from this...
to this...
(Not sure of the title selection by the station. The ewes were actually very, very well behaved! Not baaad at all.)
- Shearing is usually done in the spring, so sheep don't get overheated in the summer.
- Preferably, sheep are sheared prior to lambing (giving birth). It is easier for lambs (baby sheep) to nurse sheared ewes (adult female sheep).
- Before electric shears (up until about the 1880's), sheep were sheared with hand shears or blades. In some parts of the world where electricity is limited or not available, sheep are still blade sheared.
- Shearing is a specialized skill. Professional sheep shearers can shear sheep in under a minute. The world record is 38 seconds. However, the average time it takes to shear a sheep is 3 minutes.
- Electric shears have three basic parts: the handpiece, the comb and the cutters.
- At Mulberry Lane Farm we use a shear made by Andis, a Wisconsin based company in Racine County. (Andis Website)
- One sheep produces anywhere from 2 to 30 pounds of wool annually. Mulberry’s Shetland sheep produce 2-4 lbs. of wool.
- The average price paid for wool sold in the United States is $1.15 per pound.
- Sheep are the only producers of lanolin. It is an oily/greasy by-product of their wool. Lanolin's waterproofing property aids sheep in shedding water from their coats.
- Extraction of lanolin from the wool can be performed by squeezing the sheep's harvested wool between rollers or by a boiling process.
- Common use of lanolin is in shampoos, lotions, skin burns, and baby products.
- Mulberry Lane Petting Farm spring season begins May 2nd. We’ll have baby chicks, baby ducklings, baby calves, baby bunnies, baby lambs, baby kid goats, baby kittens….baby, baby will we have babies!
Mulberry Lane Petting Farm, Mulberry Lane Farm, Bonnie's Barnyard, Sheep Shearing. Pony Rides, Hayrides, Pumpkin Patch,
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