Purpose: To direct the audience on how to shear a sheep before their show Shearing sheep is fun and very easy if you know what you’re doing. I have sheared a lot of sheep within the past five years, and I have taken lambs to the fair. I learned how to shear my first year lamb. Ed Smolder, the old 4-H county extinction agent always helped out at the fair shearing the sheep. He once told me that I needed to flip the lamb and sheer it or go into the ring with your lamb looking nasty. I had to learn how to shear by myself, so if I can do it anyone can. Shearing can be difficult if you don’t know what you’re doing but it can be easy if you can follow these steps.
To get started you will need the following supplies, shears, oil and a cleaning brush. These supplies will be provided at the front of the lamb barn at the fair, if you do not have access to the right equipment. There is always help at the front of the barn if need any assistants with the shears, they will be glad to help you out. We need to make sure all the equipment is all working; find an outlet and plug them in and then find the switch turn on and off to check if working properly. If the shears are not working properly they could cut or kill the lamb. Also we need to make sure the blades are working properly and even tightened up right. Make sure all the teeth are lined up the blades and then tighten the screws up tightly and then plug them in to make sure they stay on right. If so then you’re ready to start shearing.
The second step is handling the lamb. We will start by learning how to handle the lamb; hold the lamb’s neck under its head. If necessary place your left or right knee in the breast of the lamb to hold it back. Doing this will let the lamb know who the boss is. Don’t be afraid if the lamb bucks or jumps on top of you; this happens to every first year member, if this does happen stay calm and get the lamb down and under control. What happens if the lamb