Uncovering the Need for Shearing the Sheep – Crucial Reasons Explained
The importance of sheep shearing for maintaining proper health and hygiene is quite clear for the shepherds and shearers. Not only it’s done to upgrade the quality and growth of wool, but it’s also very important if you care for your sheep. You can find a variety of equipment and accessories available online, such as ace shearing combs, shearing jeans, shearing blades, and more. Also, by enrolling on a shearing class program, you can be able to learn about the several techniques and steps involved in the process.
This article will help you understand the basic reasons for shearing your sheep, especially if you’re concerned about their health and well-being.
Promoting Animal Welfare
Sheep continuously grow wool to protect themselves from adverse weather conditions. Experienced shepherds and shearers always advise shearing the sheep once a year as it promotes animal welfare. Considering wool to be a natural product of the life cycle of sheep, it offers warmth and protection to them during winter months. However, shearing helps them stay cool during summer months, thereby minimising the chances of parasitic diseases and infestation. This practice also decreases the chances of sheep getting stuck on their backs, ensuring they don’t become vulnerable when attacked by predators.
Avoiding Stress Due to Heat
The whole world knows very well that wool is an excellent insulator. So, it naturally keeps the sheep warm and protects them from excess cold during winter. However, wearing a heavy fleece during the summer can be extremely uncomfortable for the sheep. The best time to shear them is during the early summer or late spring months. Performing the practice in this time ensures adequate wool growth offering them the required comfort throughout the year.
Reducing the Risks of Parasite Infestation
Sheep are most vulnerable to any kind of insect infestation, as they have thick fleece. If their fleece gets partly contaminated with fluids and dirt, especially while grazing in the fields, it might attract flies. They can lay eggs in the sheep’s fleece, and once the eggs are hatched, the maggots can bury themselves in wool. The situation can worsen further as they can eventually go deeper beneath the sheep’s skin and feed off their flesh. This is the reason why removing the fleece is extremely important as it will help in mitigating the chances of insect infestation to a great extent.
Will the Sheep Experience Pain During Shearing?
To shear your sheep, you need to remember a few things like precision, calm handling, precautions, and first aid knowledge in case of any injuries to the sheep or yourself. If all the instructions are followed, you can easily avoid complications. Experienced shearers and farmers mostly have comprehensive knowledge of the process and will certainly lessen the chances of animal suffering.
The practice of shearing isn’t painful, provided it’s done skillfully. However, the sheep might feel stressed out before and after the process. So, you should follow the instructions thoroughly to make them feel as relaxed and stress-free as possible. Buying premium-quality ace shearing combs, blades, gears, and other equipment will further help ensuring their utmost safety and well-being.
