Blog #10

Florida, here we come!

So …, I’ve now sheared in four states: Oregon, North Dakota, Georgia, and Florida.  We just had a trip across the border to Live Oak to shear eight mixed breed sheep, six ewes and two rams.  The only ones with one-year fleeces were the yearlings.  The owner wasn’t able to get them sheared last year, so they were all really ready for a trim.

Overall, I’d say they were a mix of Suffolk and Gulf Coast Native, with a bit of almost anything else added in.  Some had sticky wool, the yearlings were soft and lanolin-rich, and some were as dry and coarse as you could ever see in sheep.  One challenge was keeping sand out of the workings, and in north Florida, that’s easier said than done.  With several two-year+ fleeces, this was definitely a good workout, to boot.

I started shearing at 10:05 and we were driving out at 12:15, with a package of eggs thrown in as a treat! One of the things I like about shearing is that you never know what you’ll find in the pasture.  This gig was truly a mix that would make Old MacDonald proud.  Along with sheep, there were cattle, goats, chickens, hogs, several farm dogs, and even a donkey.  The bull was absolutely huge, weighing in at over a ton, and the cow didn’t look too far behind.  Maybe this was more like the Bremen town musicians, but it was cool to see.

  

Of the two rams, one decided he was done being sheared shortly after I started, so holding him in position became a team effort.  The second ram was calmer, but when he stiffened up it was time to slow down, let him set the pace a bit, and finish up gradually.  Overall, it was an good morning shearing well-socialized animals on a farm that was set up and ready for shearing day.

  

  

One other cool part of this trip was learning about some of the smaller freshwater springs in the area to check out as dive sites.  Most divers in the southeast are familiar with Ginnie Springs, Blue Grotto, and Devil’s Grotto, but the sheep owner referred me to several more that are less well-known to check out, within a 30-minute drive of where I was shearing.

On the way home we ventured off I-75 to find Calhoun Produce, and we split a cup of swirl ice cream at the giant strawberry before heading back up the highway home.

Next post: Who's the GOAT?

C-Ya!

*** No animals were harmed in the making of this post. Shearing is an important part of sheep farming for the wellbeing of the sheep. ***