Sheep Shearing Day

Well folks the day finally came! We had a local shearer from Otisko Lake come down and shear our mini flock of 4 Icelandic Sheep and 1 Shetland Sheep on Sunday.  The excitement was  overwhelming.  The day before we decided to get the sheep under cover as it was raining and we had awoken to our first light snow.  As this was our first time shearing I was very nervous that we had decided to do it so late in the season.  But as luck would have it and by the Grace of God a light heatwave blew in on Sunday morning with temps of about 65 degrees!!
My sister in law and her husband were visiting with us from New Jersey and were more than eager to help out in any way they could preparing things for the following day.  Many of our attempts to herd the ewes across the farm to the barn were comically futile! Though very entertaining to any on looker! Suddenly without much fuss, we spotted my brother in law Jeff herding the girls down the fence line and promptly into the barn!! Hail the beast master!!!  Since the ram is separate from the ewes until later in November for breeding we just kept him and his wethered buddy Rhum in their little 3 1/4 barn with a gate.
So the flock remained nice and dry for their shearing.

The first one to be sheared was the Matriarch Eliza Jane, our yearling.  Nothing prepared us or Jim the shearer for her feistiness!!! She bucked like a mechanical bull gone haywire.  I attempted to hold her down at Jim's direction and it was not easy.  Though I was holding my own, my dear husband George decided to come in and lend me a hand.  He's is "strong like bull" but Eliza gave even George a run for the money.  So much so that she broke his hand!! Seriously, she kicked his hand that at least one finger is broken, he is getting X-rays as I write.  But as I say he is strong, he continued to work with Jim for another two lambs before deferring to someone else in the crowd.  Thanks Georgie!!

All said and done, we have 5 beautiful bags full of Icelandic Fall fleece!!!! And a flock that look more like little goats rather than sheep! Can't wait to skirt it and wash it! Please check back often to see what is for sale!  Might have at least two full lamb fleeces available, one white and one black!

Thank you to everyone who helped out! Couldn't have done it without you!

Enjoy the video and turn the volume down before playing!