# Blocking stand



## Southdown (May 3, 2012)

How well does the blocking stand work for shearing?  I'm thinking about buying one, but they are a bit expensive.


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## BrownSheep (May 3, 2012)

For smaller-medium breeds they are fine. They work best foR tame sheep. Wild sheep will leap and eventually flip it. Most people just use them for show lambs. I use this for my show and marke lambs. It's really nice for when you only have one person and aren't strong enough to flip them on their own.  Although you can have difficulties getting them on the stand.


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## purplequeenvt (May 4, 2012)

We use one with our Border Leicesters (150-200 lbs). I love having it. My sister goes around locally and shears sheep for people and she shears on the stand. 

My opinion is that, if you are planning on doing your own maintenance (shearing, foot trimming, etc...), a stand is totally worth it. You can get a stand that you can crank up and down, uses hydraulics, or a ramp.


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## goodhors (May 4, 2012)

Husband made ours, copied the one the 4-H Leaders owned.
We love it, makes things SO MUCH easier for working on our 
lambs or sheep.  It folds down to almost nothing for storage
when not needed.

Wild or tame, it seems to work fine when the head is restrained,
side is up so they can't step off.  We always left ours up at 
Fair, for kids to use after DD was done with it.  Not everyone
has a stand, so it was easier to get the lambs trimmed up 
for showing if they could use ours and the Leader's stands.

Our friends had the one you could crank up, because they 
showed breed sheep and the ram was HUGE.  Corridales, 
with wool on, just needing a trim here and there.  Self-lifting
feature was wonderful according to them, not needing to 
lift those large rams to get them on.  Very helpful when they
sheared the wool off, with not needing to bend over.  Those
Corridales had DEEP fleece to shear.

Check Craigslist for used stuff or put in a "wanted, sheep
stand" ad to see if you get any calls.  I always put in 
my phone number, slow computer contact may lose you 
an offer.


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## Southdown (May 4, 2012)

My husband said he would like to make one, but I'm not sure how that would work.  It sounds like it would be much easier for me physically to use the stand.  I wondered if it would truly hold the animal or would they kick around too much.


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## BrownSheep (May 4, 2012)

How tame are your sheep?


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## Southdown (May 4, 2012)

Quite tame.  I can pet them without them running away.  Our suffolk does not like being restrained, however.


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## goodhors (May 4, 2012)

Probably some regular sessions daily, would get the sheep easier to handle.
Sessions should include getting the slip halters on them, tying them firmly in 
a location they can't hurt themselves on.  Stay close to keep an eye on them 
for the first few sessions.  Some sheep get rigid sitting back on the rope, while
other sheep just fall over when pulled!  They DO get over it with time.  You may
have to loosen the tied rope a few times to get them back to a more upright 
position, then tie them again.    

Once they tie quietly, you will want to start 
leading them with the slip halters.  I would suggest you tie on another 
6ft of rope to the slip halter rope, so you have more length to hang onto
if they decide to run wildly about!  Some sheep will drop if you pull on them,
so again you have to loosen the rope pull, get them back up to try again.
It might seem mean, but sheep NEED to be able to be handled, tied for 
working on them, shearing, drenching or shots.  Acceptance of being handled
makes the sheep less stressed for doing lots of things.  

If your sheep is already friendly, they just have to learn to accept being
restrained which leads to MORE petting.  Maybe some nibbles of grain
for coming along with rope pulls.  Sheep ARE trainable, maybe not quickly,
but they do respond if you work with them.  You can teach them to hop up
on the stand, get some nibbles, then have head restrained for working on.

We had to work with our new lambs every spring, get them tamed for showing
and posing, leading well for conditioning walks around the field.  They were 
almost as good leading easily, as the Obedience dog by Fair!

Do you know the the "tail pinch"?  It is a firm grasp of the sheep dock/tail right where
it joins the body, fingers on each side of the tail.  You tighten your grip there, and
USUALLY that will get a sheep/lamb moving forward quickly!  Saves a lot of 
head pulling when you start training them.


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