# Getting briers out of wool?



## chubbydog811 (Dec 13, 2011)

I recently purchased my first sheep. She is a 3 year old, pregnant Shetland ewe.
A short time before I got her, she jumped the fence with the rest of the flock, and ran right to the brier patch. Now she is all matted.
Do you guys have any secrets/techniques/ect. that could help me get them out, without having to cut them out? I would hate to waste all of her wool, so I figured I would ask before I call it a total loss.
I keep trying to pull them out, but I keep getting huge clumps of fluff with them...
Thanks!


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## aggieterpkatie (Dec 13, 2011)

Sorry to say it but you'll probably just have to shear her.  :/  Is it cold where you are?  You're going to have to decide if it's cold enough to wait until spring, but if you're not in an extremely cold area she'll be ok if you shear her as long as you have a draft free shelter from wind and rain.  If her wool is really matted, it can be really uncomfortable for her.


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## chubbydog811 (Dec 13, 2011)

aggieterpkatie said:
			
		

> Sorry to say it but you'll probably just have to shear her.  :/  Is it cold where you are?  You're going to have to decide if it's cold enough to wait until spring, but if you're not in an extremely cold area she'll be ok if you shear her as long as you have a draft free shelter from wind and rain.  If her wool is really matted, it can be really uncomfortable for her.


We're in NH. Currently, it is 26* out, and it's not even really winter yet! I think a little too cold to shear early. Poor girl! I thought about cutting some of it out, but I would be better off completely shaving her at that point. Hum...


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## secuono (Dec 13, 2011)

My trio came covered in burrs, a week or two later, they all came off. The sheep will rub themselves on trees, fences, etc and the burrs will come off. 
You can pick them off one by one or not worry about it. 
If it's deep in the wool and not just on the outside, tangled in, you can use lubricant and drench the sheep in it, then brush it out. Check out the horse only forums out there, they have lots of detangling threads, might want to try those.


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## SheepGirl (Dec 13, 2011)

Normally I don't worry about burrs in my sheep. Yes, they do get matted, but they come out on their own. You can shear her, but I wouldn't recommend it unless she's hand sheared (not electric/slick sheared) AND if she has sufficient fat cover to keep her warm.

ETA: I wouldn't recommend putting lubricant in the wool unless you thoroughly wash it out afterwards...you don't want it to mess up the wool, especially if that's what you're raising her for. But then again if you wash it out, the lanolin will wash out too.


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## chubbydog811 (Dec 14, 2011)

Thanks guys! 
She hasn't been working on rubbing them out though - I've been picking out the single ones on her shoulders/stomach/back, but they are really clumped up and in there around her neck and back end. 
I was almost debating shearing and then putting a heavy winter foal blanket on her, but I'm still thinking that's a bad idea going into winter. I am interested in using her wool, but if I have to toss it one year, I guess I can't complain too much.


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## purplequeenvt (Dec 14, 2011)

Assuming she isn't extremely underweight and that she has a place to get out of the wind, she should be perfectly fine getting sheared now.


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## jhm47 (Dec 14, 2011)

She should be sheared before she lambs.  This will prevent the lamb(s) sucking merrily on a clump of wool while they ignore the teats and starve themselves to death.  We routinely sheared ours in January in below 0 weather.  They also were more likely to lamb indoors out of the cold winds.


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## Royd Wood (Dec 14, 2011)

jhm47 said:
			
		

> She should be sheared before she lambs.  This will prevent the lamb(s) sucking merrily on a clump of wool while they ignore the teats and starve themselves to death.  We routinely sheared ours in January in below 0 weather.  They also were more likely to lamb indoors out of the cold winds.


Just sheared ours ready for Feb lambing for reasons stated above and their back end will be cleaner after lambing. When its cold its amasing how quick they grow their wool
I'm sure she will be fine if you sheer her now


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