Yesterday I sheared my first cat.
This cat had earned the name Mr. Fluffy… so named because it is a he and he is a big furball.
Recently I have noticed that his beautiful long fur has started to develop into big mats. He was starting to look really awful, I figured I had two choices either start brushing him on a regular basis or shear him.
Brushing was out of the question because the cats are on the farm to hunt and eliminate vermin. They are barn cats, not pets. While he was eating some dry cat food, I took my shearing scissors and quickly clipped off the longest and nastiest fur on his body.
Here is the result
Mr Fluffy showing off his new haircut
Yesterday I finally finished shearing all my sheep for the spring of 2009.
Each season in farming can be defined by the tasks that need to be accomplished. The major seasonal tasks are as follows;
- Summer – fencing, fixing up the barn, getting hay
- Fall – preparing for breeding season, finishing up any summer projects not yet complete
- Winter – daily feeding and just trying to survive the really cold winter
- Spring – lambing, shearing, mucking the barn, garden (maybe)
I find the spring is one of the most exciting and most challenging times of year. Lambing starts in early April and continues until mid-May. Shearing starts when the snow is all melted and must be done before the bugs begin to attack. Mucking the barn should also be done before the bugs begin but normally this seems to take the back seat as far as priorities. Mucking the barn seems to get done on the buggiest day of the year. Finally we have gardening which is last on the long list of chores.
The first time I sheared a sheep it was with kitchen scissors. Myself, Luc (significant other), and a neighbour had a wrestling match with two yearling ewes. After it was all said an done the sheep looked pretty rough and I was completely exhausted. The next year I vowed to get the right equipment, however fancy hand clippers can run about $800….so I bought some $50 hand shears. I continue to use the hand shears and am now very fond of them.
I sheared 13 ewes by myself, normally 2/day (sometimes 3/day) on the days without rain/snow. The last ewe and two rams, I enlisted the help of Luc, they are just too powerful and heavy for me. We finished in record time with minimal nicks and cuts. Here is a shot of some ewes, lambs and freshly sheared rams in our front pasture.
Front pasture
They all look pretty small but this picture is a good representation of the whole pasture. After a couple of days of sunshine the pasture is starting to grow in very nicely.
With one chore complete and checked off the list we can now begin the next chore, cleaning out the barn!!
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Bent Willow Farm was established in 2006 with the donation of two sheep from a generous neighbour. Prior to receiving the sheep, neither I nor my boyfriend had any in-cling or knowledge of how to become a farmer. Due to our naivite we have experienced many adventures learning about sheep and sheep husbandry.
Much to my family and friends amusement, I frequently relayed these funny events and discoveries. Whenever I recount a story or observation to my mom, she would encourage me to keep a journal or diary. So mom it is with great pride that I have taken your advice and will start keeping a journal of life here on Bent Willow Farm.
Hope you all enjoy it!
Raymond a 2 month old lamb likes to cuddle and is my buddy
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