The fleeces are coming!

OFF, that is!

Shearing has been the topic on several blogs and lists lately, so I decided I'd better take a look at my calendar and figure out a date for my flock. Since my farrier is also my shearer, I schedule shearing for when he is going to be here for the horses to save a trip fee. Well, I had him scheduled to come next on Feb. 24, but that seemed awfully early to shear. Our appointment after that would be in early April with lambs on the ground or very gravid ewes, so that wasn't good timing, either. I reconsidered February. The ewes would be far enough from lambing that getting manhandled wouldn't be too stressful, and the three yearlings would have plenty of time to grow fleece before Black Sheep Gathering should I decide to show any of them there. Hmm, shearing earlier than ever before started looking good!! But there wasn't enough time on Feb. 24 to trim three horses and shoe one, shear eight sheep, and make it to homeschool co-op that afternoon. So I called to see if we could reschedule to a different day, and we are now set for Feb. 22. I plan to have everyone sheared then but Inky; I will use scissors and clip her standing again as she is just not flexible enough to be tipped comfortably. I have a feeling that being able to more accurately assess the pregnant ewes will convince me to shear early from here on out.

As for the fleeces, if you want one you'd better call first dibs! I will have one white, two musket (creamy white to oatmeal), one light grey, two fawn (gulmoget), one dark chocolate moorit and two black (one gulmoget). All fleeces have been coated except Katie's; the adults have been coated since shearing last year and the lambs have been coated at least six months. What isn't spoken for will be processed into roving, which will be available at Black Sheep Gathering.

(Like my new background? Very fitting; I can hear the rain on the roof.)

That's it for now at . . .