SHAGGY SHEEP

At this time of year, when the weather warms up (usually earlier than this) just as we shed our winter layers, so do the sheep, not always as neatly as we do. They rub and scratch against any surface, leaving their tell-tale  remnants of wool all over the place. The problem is, that you need to shear dry sheep, otherwise the fleeces are too wet and ... as you are probably well aware, we haven't been blessed with too many dry days so far.

Some of the ewes are really starting to look shaggy. Bless them they've been through all the hassle of lambing. The young have neat tidy coats and I guess a bit like teenagers seem to be dressed to impress whilst their mams just look worn out with all the effort. Meanwhile the rams having had months of rest have been shorn and look smart.
But having had a few dry ish days one farmer has gathered the in-bye sheep for shearing.

Much bleating of sheep, so used to free roaming the nearby fields and another already shorn ram looks on seemingly bemused by all the fuss, after all he too has been shorn.

Note the clean lines left from the shearing. The young farmer that de-fleeced this ram is a winner of shearing competitions and has a mobile unit that keeps him and his friend very busy during the weeks of shearing around all the local farms. Busy times for all farmers.
However, this is mainly done for the sake of the animals health, though of course a by product of shearing is the fleece and is saleable. But ... when the farmers weigh in their wool sacks with the wool marketing board, they only get a nominal cheque at site of sale.
They then have to wait almost a whole year until all the wool has been graded and sorted to get the final payment and of course it all depends on the weight and quality of the wool. Weather permitting in a few weeks time, there will be a big gather of all the sheep off the commons. All the commoners will join in the gather and then split their sheep to be returned to their home farms. There they will be sheared and choices made as to which of their flock stay on to breed next years youngsters, and which will head to market, some for meat and some for breeding and carrying on the lines for the future on other farms. Meanwhile, at this time of year, our farmers are normally cutting their first hay crop ... 

the problem at the moment is that the old saying "Make hay while the sun shines" would be fine, we just don't have enough consecutive days of dry weather to cut and bale the hay. Too damp and it will rot and be useless for winter feed, meanwhile the shaggy sheep are also in need of shearing and need to have dry fleeces. Our farmers constantly have to juggle their priorities and what may seem an easy life from the outside, is fraught with difficulties. Most of our farmers struggle alone and with so much to do, it's a hard life!!