# Wool  around eyes



## Alexz7272 (Oct 10, 2016)

So I have an ewe that I do not know her breed at all but she has wool very close to her eyes, not like my other ewe and ram. I swear there is no way she can possibly see but she does just fine. I am thinking maybe I could trim around her eye to make it easier for her? I clean around it at least weekly but it just keeps getting dirtier and dirtier and its making me nervous. I could not get a very good picture though, she saw me poking at Nala's infected eye and wanted nothing to do with me, haha. What could I use to clip that area? I have _not_ bought shearers or clippers yet, would now be a good time and if so, what do you recommend? Or am I off my rocker and she is fine?  
THANK YOU!



 
I swear there is an eye in there


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## Alexz7272 (Oct 10, 2016)

Another view, she is my shy one


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## The Old Ram-Australia (Oct 10, 2016)

GdayAlexz,Excessive wool around can lead to what is called 'wool blindness',as the strands can enter the eye and cause irritation,  much like when you get a lash turn into your own eye.You can at a 'pinch' use any half decent pair of scissors and just trim about an inch all round.A word of caution lay the scissors flat on the skin so as not to'spear her',GOOD LUCK....T.O.R.


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## Baymule (Oct 10, 2016)

Yeah, good luck. That looks like a job that would go better with a couple of helpers.


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## Alexz7272 (Oct 10, 2016)

Thank you! 
@Baymule That is what I am thinking! Now where to find some people willing to rumble  in the dirt and wrestle a sheep


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## Goat Whisperer (Oct 10, 2016)

You need to build a headgate


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## Alexz7272 (Oct 10, 2016)

Okay, so I just cut some wool. She still wont really open her eyes and there is ALOT of gookey stuff. I opened her eyelid and it seems like her eyes are point downward? I dont know if thats because I am looking at then or what.


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## Alexz7272 (Oct 10, 2016)




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## babsbag (Oct 10, 2016)

Her eyes may be irritated from the wool.  I think I would treat them with an antibiotic drop or ointment too.


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## Alexz7272 (Oct 10, 2016)

Thank you!!


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## TAH (Oct 10, 2016)

babsbag said:


> Her eyes may be irritated from the wool.  I think I would treat them with an antibiotic drop or ointment too.


x2


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## babsbag (Oct 10, 2016)

My LGD had eye lashes that were rubbing on his eyes and his eyes were always runny and he squinted a lot.  He had surgery to correct the problem and it made a big difference.  So that makes me think that maybe her eyes are just irritated.


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## Bossroo (Oct 10, 2016)

Alexz7272 said:


> So I have an ewe that I do not know her breed at all but she has wool very close to her eyes, not like my other ewe and ram. I swear there is no way she can possibly see but she does just fine. I am thinking maybe I could trim around her eye to make it easier for her? I clean around it at least weekly but it just keeps getting dirtier and dirtier and its making me nervous. I could not get a very good picture though, she saw me poking at Nala's infected eye and wanted nothing to do with me, haha. What could I use to clip that area? I have _not_ bought shearers or clippers yet, would now be a good time and if so, what do you recommend? Or am I off my rocker and she is fine?
> THANK YOU!
> View attachment 22800
> I swear there is an eye in there


Looking at your photo--  the chaff appears to have seed heads with tails. If so,These come from the pasture grasses as well as grass hay. Those are  what is known as "fox tail".  They are well known to migrate into  nasal passages, between the teeth and gums , into eyes, into the sheep's body through the skin and eventually can do so into any and all organs including the brain.   Sheer the head , legs, and belly to minimize the potential fox tail damage. Foxtail in the muscles of the carcass are not pleasant to eat.    Vet bills can get quite expensive if these occur however sheep are quite resiliant.


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## babsbag (Oct 10, 2016)

Foxtails are the scourge of any animal in their path. If her eyes don't clear up she could have one in her eye. 

I literally vacuum my backyard to keep them away from my dogs. Fortunately there are none in my goat's field.


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## Alexz7272 (Oct 11, 2016)

I did not know that, thank you so so much!


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## norseofcourse (Oct 11, 2016)

For help holding her still for trimming or treatment, get a gambrel restrainer.  It's an inexpensive item ($20 or less), comes in two sizes so you can get one for lambs, too.  Takes a bit of practice to put it on a sheep easily, but it keeps them still and is very helpful if you have to work solo.


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## Alexz7272 (Oct 11, 2016)

@norseofcourse Thank you so so so much!


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## The Old Ram-Australia (Oct 11, 2016)

G'day,restraining a 4 legged animal is difficult if you try it with the lamb standing on its 4 legs.watch how a shearer immobilizes a sheep before the first'blow',get the sheep squarely on its 'butt',the holder sits on a chair behind it and holds the mid area of the sheep with their knees and holds the head steady with one or both hands.The trimmer works from the front of the sheep,keeping the clippers flat on the skin.In Aussie this is called"wigging",its done because our Merinos have a lot of face wool and wool well down their noses.Its usually 2 'blows 'up the face toward the poll.Hope this is of some help.

Another trick we used ages ago for eye infections was to use the 'stuff' the dairy cow people use for Mastitis,it comes in a syringe and you just apply a line across the open eye and hold the lids closed for a minute or so...T.O.R.


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## Sheepshape (Oct 12, 2016)

Oh,poor girl, her eyes look so sore.

I always try to have sheep 'turned' for face treatment too. If they are on their backs they struggle much less.

Much better if there is help available when treating sheep!

Good Luck.


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## misfitmorgan (Oct 12, 2016)

We tip our sheep too....much easier.


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## Bossroo (Oct 12, 2016)

Alexz7272, Here is a tip that I have done thousands of times to treat sheep by yourself .   Stand next to the sheep's side, hold the sheep's head at the lower jaw with one hand, then swiftly bend it's head away from you and toward it's outside shoulder while you place your knee against it's side just behind it's front leg closest to the sheep's head and as it starts to roll over your knee, you will easily force it to sit onto it's posterior on the ground grab both of it's front legs to steady it  and rest between your knees.   You can then use both of your free hands to treet the eyes, sheer the wool on it's head, legs, belly and crotch, trim it's hooves, etc.


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## misfitmorgan (Oct 12, 2016)

Bossroo said:


> Alexz7272, Here is a tip that I have done thousands of times to treat sheep by yourself .   Stand next to the sheep's side, hold the sheep's head at the lower jaw with one hand, then swiftly bend it's head away from you and toward it's outside shoulder while you place your knee against it's side just behind it's front leg closest to the sheep's head and as it starts to roll over your knee, you will easily force it to sit onto it's posterior on the ground grab both of it's front legs to steady it  and rest between your knees.   You can then use both of your free hands to treet the eyes, sheer the wool on it's head, legs, belly and crotch, trim it's hooves, etc.



Same way we do it....word to the wise watch out for the hooves, some are feisty and will still kick randomly lol.


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## Alexz7272 (Oct 12, 2016)

Thank you! I did that and it was WAY easier. I am waiting for the gambrel and shears to get here friday to finish cleaning up. The whole top of her head is a mat of those foxtail, I feel awful. 
She did have one or two in her eyes. I got all but a small piece out. Is there a way I can maybe flush her eye safely? 
I feel like such a bad sheep mom


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## Alexz7272 (Oct 12, 2016)

I got these: 
https://www.premier1supplies.com/p/...ia=Mini+Trim+Hand+Shear&species_id=0&cat_id=0


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## secuono (Oct 12, 2016)

You can use human saline eye wash, I use the same stuff as for my contact lenses. 

I would trim more around her eyes, all the way around.


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## babsbag (Oct 12, 2016)

Glad you were able to get most of it out, hopefully the rest will come out with a rinse, I would use the saline solution in a syringe and hopefully get it all. Even with vacuuming my yard my dog got one in her eye; thankfully we saw it before it got lodged in too deep. They are insidious things.


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## Alexz7272 (Oct 12, 2016)

I will try that, I definitely have saline, thank you! As soon as I get the shears I'm going all the way. I had to use a razor blade and did the best I could.


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## Bruce (Oct 12, 2016)

https://www.premier1supplies.com/sheep-guide/2012/10/using-premiers-deck-chair/


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## babsbag (Oct 12, 2016)

I had someone come and do some goat hoof trims for me and they were used to doing sheep. She sat them on their rump, like in the chair but without one, and trimmed those hooves. I think my goats were shocked.   But it worked. I hold bucklings like that when I band them.


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## Alexz7272 (Oct 13, 2016)

The gambrel made a HUGE difference. Unfortunately her face/nose was MUCH worse then I thought  
I cut until it got dark and will get some more tomorrow then my dad is coming Saturday. On the funny side I got peed on by a sheep for the first time in my life


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## babsbag (Oct 13, 2016)

Hopefully the foxtails are just in the wool and none have made it through to her skin. Our neighbor had a GSD with a bunch in her skin; she had these abscesses all over her from them. I was surprised the dog didn't die. I know this is the wrong time of year but I would be tempted to shave her head.


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## TAH (Oct 13, 2016)

babsbag said:


> I know this is the wrong time of year but I would be tempted to shave her head.


x2


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## Bruce (Oct 14, 2016)

babsbag said:


> Hopefully the foxtails are just in the wool and none have made it through to her skin. Our neighbor had a GSD with a bunch in her skin; she had these abscesses all over her from them. I was surprised the dog didn't die. I know this is the wrong time of year but I would be tempted to shave her head.



I worked at a vet's in So. Cal in college. Foxtails were one of the "repeat business" serious problems. Poor dogs would get them in their ears and the buggers would just keep migrating down. And in their feet. Really ugly when one went in between the toes then into one and festered until the dog was showing signs of a problem to the owner. Doesn't seem to take much time for those to get infected.

No foxtails here (that I know of). We have burdock instead. Thought I had all the vertical parts out of the barnyard/pond area but Laddie managed to find one in the tall weeds on the north end of the pond not long after the alpacas arrived Sunday. Gonna be fun come shearing and "wool picking" time next spring/summer. Fortunately they are mostly on his front legs, chest and some on his face.



Alexz7272 said:


> The gambrel made a HUGE difference. Unfortunately her face/nose was MUCH worse then I thought
> I cut until it got dark and will get some more tomorrow then my dad is coming Saturday. On the funny side I got peed on by a sheep for the first time in my life


I'm guessing that wasn't one of the things on your bucket list  Hope you get it all cleared up without further "watering"


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## NH homesteader (Oct 14, 2016)

OK I was truly confused about what foxtails are,  but if Bruce doesn't have them I probably don't either! Burdocks aren't fun,  but foxtails look way worse. 

Sorry the poor girl has this going on,  good for you for getting right on it.  And don't best yourself up,  you had no way of knowing.  Now you know what to watch for.  And...  How it feels to be peed on by a sheep!


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## Bruce (Oct 14, 2016)

Burdock is more of a flowering "shrub", foxtail is a grass. 

They start by looking innocuous, as do burdocks







Then they mature and dry so the seeds can spread






Then the individual seeds come off





See how they are designed to go only one way? No backing out.






Then the skin seals over and you have a serious infection brewing.





Burdock seed heads are more like sticky hook ladened balls. The individual seeds can come off but they don't seem to have the "bury deep" spearhead design The seed heads do make great "velcro" when attaching themselves to whatever you are wearing.


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## Alexz7272 (Oct 14, 2016)

So I need to buy a some shearers. Awesome. I do not have $400 to spend on shearers, does anyone have any recommendations for reasonably priced ones? I could spend around $200...
I have Tractor Supply near me, anyone have any recommendations from there?  
Maybe these: http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/lister-shearing-star-clippers?cm_vc=-10005 
With this blade attachment: http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/lister-shearing-wizard-sheep-clipper-blade?cm_vc=-10005 
They do have them in store so I could pick them up tonight.  Ughhhh. Thank you....


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## babsbag (Oct 14, 2016)

Don't you just love the money pit?  I have no suggestions as no sheep here and clipping a goat is way easier. Hope you get it all taken care of. 

@Bruce, those little buggers are nasty. I have a friend who had a goat die when one migrated to its brain and that is was I am so crazy about keeping them away from my dogs. It seems that the plant likes disturbed areas and my yard around the house is all imported dirt. There are no tails growing in the native fields where the goats live, thankfully.


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## Bossroo (Oct 14, 2016)

That blade attachment will do quite well for fleece.  But be very careful with the angle that you place the blade .  You will cut the skin and make what looks like cat scratches on the sheep's skin until you get the hang of it.


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## Alexz7272 (Oct 14, 2016)

So asking the local sheep group if I can get someone out to shave her head as my clippers wont be here until next week. Got some more cut off but need it shaved to see if I need to call the vet (90% sure I will). Going to call him tomorroe either way.  Been asking for recommendations this past week. Hoping someone comes through....ugh


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## Bruce (Oct 14, 2016)

Buy them and let me know how they work for you  

With only 2 alpacas to shear, I don't suppose I need the most expensive fancy clippers. But then sometimes cheaper doesn't work as well and can be more "expensive" in aggravation and time. 

Hmmm only 3 reviews, most recent one not good.


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## Alexz7272 (Oct 14, 2016)

@Bruce 
On the advice of my local farm group I bought a pair off ebay. They agreed they worked just as well aa the $400 one. Someone with the $400 one originally said that! I only have 3 sheep and 2 alpacas right now too, sobsilly to buy super expensive JUST yet. I can let you know about them if you'd like


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## Alexz7272 (Oct 15, 2016)

The nicest guy ever came to shear her head


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## babsbag (Oct 15, 2016)

The heck with children....it takes a village to raise livestock too. Livestock loving friends are the BEST.


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## Bruce (Oct 15, 2016)

Please do! There were only the 3 reviews which to me is about the same as zero. One thing I did read about starting up shearing is that it is best to start with a 17 tooth or higher comb since you are less likely to nick the animal while you learn. Then go to the 13 tooth because it will cut faster.

I found this instructional page on shearing alpacas
http://www.gatewayalpacas.com/alpaca-farming/alpaca-shearing.htm

So glad the guy came to shear her head!


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## NH homesteader (Oct 15, 2016)

So how does her head look?


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## The Old Ram-Australia (Oct 15, 2016)

G'day, note how the guy immobilized the sheep?you can undertake lots of chores from this position without you or the sheep being injured....T.O.R.


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## Alexz7272 (Oct 16, 2016)

@NH homesteader 
She is 200x better!! Still need to pull some out but so far looks to have all been in her wool, super grateful


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## NH homesteader (Oct 16, 2016)




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## TAH (Oct 16, 2016)




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## Bruce (Oct 16, 2016)




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## The Old Ram-Australia (Oct 16, 2016)

G'day, does the rest of the fleece normally have this much contamination?...T.O.R.


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## misfitmorgan (Oct 17, 2016)

babsbag said:


> I had someone come and do some goat hoof trims for me and they were used to doing sheep. She sat them on their rump, like in the chair but without one, and trimmed those hooves. I think my goats were shocked.   But it worked. I hold bucklings like that when I band them.



My goats would think i lost my mind 

Honestly though i wonder why we never thought to try that..it has got to be easier then trying to do it without a stand and way easier then trying to hold them down on the ground.


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## misfitmorgan (Oct 17, 2016)

Alexz7272 said:


> @Bruce
> On the advice of my local farm group I bought a pair off ebay. They agreed they worked just as well aa the $400 one. Someone with the $400 one originally said that! I only have 3 sheep and 2 alpacas right now too, sobsilly to buy super expensive JUST yet. I can let you know about them if you'd like



What shears did you end up getting? I just bought $150 clippers for the goat this summer and now we need shears cause the ones we were using are gone and i dont have it in the budget atm to spend $400 on some pro ones that are shaft/cable driven and those start at $600 so i told him we are going to have to start with some cheaper electric ones and maybe get the shaft/cable driven in a couple years.


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## Alexz7272 (Oct 17, 2016)

@The Old Ram-Australia 
It does not, none of my other sheep have any of them in their wool! 
@misfitmorgan  here is the link of the ones they SWORE by. I was very surprised as they were significantly cheaper but 3-4 people recommended them. I get it later this week and will keep you updated on how well they work! 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/311602034939


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## misfitmorgan (Oct 17, 2016)

Awesome Thank you!

Looks like the Lister blades will fit on it too. I am wondering whether that comes with a 9 tooth comb or a 13 tooth comb because different pictures show both  i want 13 cause im only just starting out learning to shear, DH wants 9 tooth lol For the price though i think we could just buy whatever comb doesnt come with it. Let me know how it works if you have anything to shear....We have 3 critters that need to be long sheared very soon.


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## The Old Ram-Australia (Oct 17, 2016)

G'day, Heininger  earlier this year released a new hand-piece on a 'string'(motor in the hand-piece) called the Xpert ,it looked to overcome all of the downside of the old types in that it was a slim version much like the shafted/flexible ones we use down here.It may be worthwhile looking at re the price.......T.O.R.


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## babsbag (Oct 17, 2016)

She looks so much happier with her head cleaned up.


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## misfitmorgan (Oct 18, 2016)

The Old Ram-Australia said:


> G'day, Heininger  earlier this year released a new hand-piece on a 'string'(motor in the hand-piece) called the Xpert ,it looked to overcome all of the downside of the old types in that it was a slim version much like the shafted/flexible ones we use down here.It may be worthwhile looking at re the price.......T.O.R.



DH hates the motor in the handle kind he says they are junk. I told him well it is not like your going to be shearing 100 sheep a day or anything atleast not for many years if ever. He wants the cable driven like you guys use...i'm guessing thats the shafted/flexible kind your referring too. The kind with the motor mounted up top over your head like and the cable that runs down. Thats the kind he learned on when he was shearing sheep on his grandpas farm.


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## Bruce (Oct 18, 2016)

Unless you are shearing a LOT of animals, I don't know that you want to pay for the shaft and cable shears. Has he ever USED one of the portable ones or are they "junk" based on his comfort with the fixed version? I did use that type in sheep production class back in college though I don't recall much about it given is was a couple of years ago (maybe more than a couple ). I don't know if the "motor in the handle" type existed then.

I read the cutting part of a shaft and cable shear is lighter than one with the motor in the handle (makes sense) though there must be some hindrance by the cable as it moves around above your head. Obviously not insurmountable since places that shear a large number of sheep use them. I gather that is partly due to the weight and partly because the motor encased in the handle heats up.


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## misfitmorgan (Oct 18, 2016)

Bruce said:


> Unless you are shearing a LOT of animals, I don't know that you want to pay for the shaft and cable shears. Has he ever USED one of the portable ones or are they "junk" based on his comfort with the fixed version? I did use that type in sheep production class back in college though I don't recall much about it given is was a couple of years ago (maybe more than a couple ). I don't know if the "motor in the handle" type existed then.
> 
> I read the cutting part of a shaft and cable shear is lighter than one with the motor in the handle (makes sense) though there must be some hindrance by the cable as it moves around above your head. Obviously not insurmountable since places that shear a large number of sheep use them. I gather that is partly due to the weight and partly because the motor encased in the handle heats up.



My DH and i both have early on-set arthritis due to auto-immune disease so we are quickly losing the strength in our hands and gripping heavy objects for long periods of time is usually not possible without a great deal of pain...so the lighter handset would be preferred if we had a lot of sheep. With only having a few sheep right now it doesnt make sense to invest that much in shears atm. DH has used motor in the handle type shears and he dislikes them because of the weight and they seem more bulky to him i guess. Hence him calling them junk i think lol


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## The Old Ram-Australia (Oct 18, 2016)

G'day,MFM,I would suggest that he has a look at the new Heininger model it looks from the photo to be as slim as a normal shafted hand piece..https://www.google.com.au/search?q=...X&ved=0ahUKEwjYt8vAteXPAhVGnJQKHRDYAY4QsAQINA
...T.O.R.


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## Bruce (Oct 18, 2016)

No better reason @misfitmorgan !! I have some arthritis in my hands, mostly notice it in my thumb joints all the time, other finger joints if I have to do things that require holding things for a long time. Not a lot of grip, in fact my wife's uncle died 3 years ago at 97. We saw him a week before he died and his handshake was still stronger than anything I have ever been capable of. Maybe you can find a shaft and cable shearer on Ebay or Craig's list. You have me thinking that direction all of a sudden!


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## misfitmorgan (Oct 20, 2016)

The Old Ram-Australia said:


> G'day,MFM,I would suggest that he has a look at the new Heininger model it looks from the photo to be as slim as a normal shafted hand piece..https://www.google.com.au/search?q=...X&ved=0ahUKEwjYt8vAteXPAhVGnJQKHRDYAY4QsAQINA
> ...T.O.R.



I will have to show him those...thank you so much TOR!



Bruce said:


> No better reason @misfitmorgan !! I have some arthritis in my hands, mostly notice it in my thumb joints all the time, other finger joints if I have to do things that require holding things for a long time. Not a lot of grip, in fact my wife's uncle died 3 years ago at 97. We saw him a week before he died and his handshake was still stronger than anything I have ever been capable of. Maybe you can find a shaft and cable shearer on Ebay or Craig's list. You have me thinking that direction all of a sudden!



Yep DH is at the point his has numb portions of his hands now and he has good days and bad days on bad days he drops a lot of stuff on good days he only drops a few things. DH is very strong so as long as he can make his hands hold on he gets most things done that take some force...its things that require hand strength he has trouble with. Defeinately going to keep an eye on ebay and have been watching craigslist too. You defaintely might want to consider it, the motor in hand style weight 6-7lbs



Alexz7272 said:


> @NH homesteader
> She is 200x better!! Still need to pull some out but so far looks to have all been in her wool, super grateful



How is she doing? Is her eye clearing out at all?


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## Bossroo (Oct 20, 2016)

misfitmorgan said:


> I will have to show him those...thank you so much TOR!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Your hubby just might also have carpal tunnel syndrome in addition to arthritis. Surgery for it works great to correct the numbness issue.


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## misfitmorgan (Oct 21, 2016)

Bossroo said:


> Your hubby just might also have carpal tunnel syndrome in addition to arthritis. Surgery for it works great to correct the numbness issue.



He does he was diagnosed with it 4yrs ago. They want to do the surgery on both of his wrists but he wont let them do it cause he will be down for 6 months.


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## Bruce (Oct 21, 2016)

Some people do it on both at the same time (makes some personal hygiene things a bit difficult) others one at a time. He was told 6 months recuperation time?? Was that total with them done serially, 3 months each?


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## Bossroo (Oct 22, 2016)

misfitmorgan said:


> He does he was diagnosed with it 4yrs ago. They want to do the surgery on both of his wrists but he wont let them do it cause he will be down for 6 months.


I had the surgery on my right wrist. Doctors think that most of us are wimps and need a course of physical therapy to restore function starting 2 weeks after the surgery. When I called to make the appointment for physical therapy, they said I needed to come in in 2 weeks for an evaluation then another 2 weeks to start the therapy. Since animals can't understand the need for time off for the owner and want to eat every day  ...   On my ranch ,3 days after my surgery it was business  almost as usual as I took it easy and was favoring my right hand somewhat, as I had just a little pain so a couple aspirin was all that was needed,  I fed a ton of alfalfa hay and 300 lbs. of grain per week ( load and unload a pickup load 2x daily )  and mucked 8 stalls daily ( poop poop detail - load and unload a wheelbarrow full of manure for each stall onto pastures ) .  Not to mention handling the animals in and out of the barn and pastures. I also took care of the yard and garden ( weeding, harvesting, irrigation, etc. ). A week after the surgery I butchered a lamb by myself .


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## Bruce (Oct 22, 2016)

I don't have any personal experience but I think it somewhat unprofessional to say therapy will start in a month when they haven't yet seen the patient and won't for 2 weeks. I can understand the 2 week "healing period" but every patient is different and would likely benefit from starting PT and different times, potentially at the 2 week mark.


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## Bossroo (Oct 23, 2016)

College and professional sport players start their physical therapy as soon as possible ( same day, next day or just a bit more)  after the injury.  Depending on the injury, waiting 2 weeks is too late as the injury part is well along on its healing and gets set into place and looses range of motion, etc..


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## misfitmorgan (Oct 25, 2016)

Bruce said:


> Some people do it on both at the same time (makes some personal hygiene things a bit difficult) others one at a time. He was told 6 months recuperation time?? Was that total with them done serially, 3 months each?



They want to do both wrists at once and was told 6 months total recovery time if both were done at once. He has another thing on his wrist i cant recall the name of but the Dr said if it ruptured or something it would kill him, its like a smallish lump that you only notice if he bend his hand back but guess that is also pressing on his tendons and stuff and causing for hand problems.

Biggest issue is, there is no one else to do the work he does on the farm. He also currently holds a nail gun most of the day for work so that would be impossible. I can do the livestock chores but i cant do stuff like start the tractors or run them except to drive around, i dont know how to use the attachments/loader. He does all the work on our vehicles and puts up the hay, straw, oats, corn, etc. I have been trying to talk him into getting the surgery this winter but he told me know because i cant split firewood and with him out of work we wont be able to afford to buy it for the whole winter. Basically he is just very worried if he has the surgery something will go wrong in everyday life that he will HAVE to do and mess the whole surgery up. Still trying to see if i can talk him into just doing one wrist and seeing how it goes.



Bossroo said:


> College and professional sport players start their physical therapy as soon as possible ( same day, next day or just a bit more)  after the injury.  Depending on the injury, waiting 2 weeks is too late as the injury part is well along on its healing and gets set into place and looses range of motion, etc..



Thats what happened to my dad when he broke his knee they made his wait 2 months after surgery to start PT and he never regained full range of motion. I always found it really odd because when you have knee replacement surgery the very next day they start PT.


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## NH homesteader (Oct 25, 2016)

My step-dad just had knee replacement surgery and he had to wait 2 weeks before starting PT. He tried not to do very much before he got to see them!


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## misfitmorgan (Oct 25, 2016)

NH homesteader said:


> My step-dad just had knee replacement surgery and he had to wait 2 weeks before starting PT. He tried not to do very much before he got to see them!



Thats crazy everyone up here who has knee replacement starts the very next day while they are still in recovery. My ex-mother-in-law just had her second set of double knee replacements and both times they made her start PT the very next day too, even 17yrs apart and the surgeries done in two different states.


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## Bruce (Oct 25, 2016)

misfitmorgan said:


> They want to do both wrists at once and was told 6 months total recovery time if both were done at once. He has another thing on his wrist i cant recall the name of but the Dr said if it ruptured or something it would kill him, its like a smallish lump that you only notice if he bend his hand back but guess that is also pressing on his tendons and stuff and causing for hand problems.
> 
> Biggest issue is, there is no one else to do the work he does on the farm. He also currently holds a nail gun most of the day for work so that would be impossible. I can do the livestock chores but i cant do stuff like start the tractors or run them except to drive around, i dont know how to use the attachments/loader. He does all the work on our vehicles and puts up the hay, straw, oats, corn, etc. I have been trying to talk him into getting the surgery this winter but he told me know because i cant split firewood and with him out of work we wont be able to afford to buy it for the whole winter. Basically he is just very worried if he has the surgery something will go wrong in everyday life that he will HAVE to do and mess the whole surgery up. Still trying to see if i can talk him into just doing one wrist and seeing how it goes.



Um, not having a lot of experience here but how hard can it be to start a tractor? I am ASSUMING we aren't talking about standing in front and turning a crank until it starts  Should be the same as a car right? Foot on the brake and clutch (if not hydrostatic), turn the key, let go of the key when it starts??? Maybe it is diesel and has glow plugs you have to turn on for a time before you start it? And I bet you can learn to use some of the attachments and the loader. Takes a bit of work off his hands, literally.

And the wood splitting thing. Does he do it with a maul or a gas or electric splitter? If the former, I would say he should STOP doing it that way and get a splitter. I did when the arthritis in my hands got to the point the shock of the hit was painful. I don't know if you are feeding 16" wood into a stove or longer into a wood furnace but if the former, there really isn't any reason you couldn't pick up the pieces, put them on the splitter and hit the lever as long as the pieces aren't too large in diameter. Sure sounds like something you could do together.

OK back to my  since it isn't my business


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## misfitmorgan (Oct 25, 2016)

Bruce said:


> Um, not having a lot of experience here but how hard can it be to start a tractor? I am ASSUMING we aren't talking about standing in front and turning a crank until it starts  Should be the same as a car right? Foot on the brake and clutch (if not hydrostatic), turn the key, let go of the key when it starts??? Maybe it is diesel and has glow plugs you have to turn on for a time before you start it? And I bet you can learn to use some of the attachments and the loader. Takes a bit of work off his hands, literally.
> 
> And the wood splitting thing. Does he do it with a maul or a gas or electric splitter? If the former, I would say he should STOP doing it that way and get a splitter. I did when the arthritis in my hands got to the point the shock of the hit was painful. I don't know if you are feeding 16" wood into a stove or longer into a wood furnace but if the former, there really isn't any reason you couldn't pick up the pieces, put them on the splitter and hit the lever as long as the pieces aren't too large in diameter. Sure sounds like something you could do together.
> 
> OK back to my  since it isn't my business



No actually both of the tractors we have to use are both very very old one is a 1952 ford golden jubilee and the other is a 1940 massey...so there is no just turn the key and go set-up. There is an entire process of things that have to be done and it varies depending on the weather. Takes DH 1-1.5hrs to get the tractor going every time it needs to be used. He splits with a maul...i am not able to because i have a problem with my shoulders where they dislocate when i swing above my head and downwards. We do not own a splitter and buying one this winter wont be happening. I could rent a splitter if i had to but the bigger problem is he would have to fell and block all the wood we need for the winter before the surgery and bring it home. I do help load blocks and i help stack and i split when we have a splitter to use but i can not drop trees myself and i cant use his chainsaw cause it is a stihl 440 with a 41" bar and i dont have the arm strength to control it. Everything we have a problem with for his surgery can be worked about given time meanwhile his hands get worse. i know it is not impossible but the possibility of it happening this winter is slim to none honestly. Financially we are not in a position to buy a new tractor or a splitter because we are waiting on our loan to come back to buy the farm and we have to pay closing costs and down payment on that. The loan is also the same reason he cant miss work this winter we would not be able to survive financially this winter without his income. It is more expensive for us to live in the winter as it is for most and we dont have time to save up more money to live on before winter. Believe me i think about this a lot and try to find a way we can do it sooner rather then later but he doesnt seem to care if he has to wait 10yrs for surgury.


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## Bruce (Oct 26, 2016)

41" bar!!!!! I would not touch that either. Hmmm, you sure about that, what I find says 32" max (which is still way more that I would ever touch). Mine is just a little 16" and it is a Stihl homeowner easy start type.

Didn't realize the wood hadn't been cut down yet. It won't dry enough to burn well if it is cut now unless it has been standing dead a few years. I've never cut a tree down either, just cut up a couple of trees that had dropped but were held up not too far off the ground in another tree.

Do you have another source of heat for the house? 

Another hmmm. If it takes 1 to 1.5 hours to start the tractors, I have to believe there is a mechanical issue. No farmer would depend on something for his/her livelihood that took that much time to start. I realize older things don't run as well as newer ones (me being a good example  ). Maybe ask about them out on the www.tractorbynet.com or www.tractorforum.comforums?? There have to be some people out there that could help troubleshoot given a good description.

Again no personal knowledge but I would bet that he will lose the use of his hands before 10 years if he doesn't stop doing things that cause/aggravate the CT. Yeah I do know he can't stop working for a living.


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## NH homesteader (Oct 26, 2016)

My husband says they make 5' bars. You can see them on YouTube,  and it's terrifying! 

And people would depend on difficult equipment if that's all they can afford.  Better than not having a tractor.  Some of us have to limp equipment along til we can afford the better stuff.


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## Bruce (Oct 26, 2016)

Yeah but MAYBE they can be fixed! There would be a big benefit even if it took "only" half as long to start (frustration being one benefit). Worth a little investigation (to me).

I had a Toro gas lawn mower years ago. After a few years the only way I could start it was to take the foam air filter out and pull, and pull, and pull. Put the foam and cover back in and mow. Same thing the next week. New foam filter didn't help, finally took it in. They figured out it needed a part (don't recall what) and wanted $150 to fix the mower. Of course there is a 100% parts markup. I said "screw that" given I had moved and had only about 400 sq ft to mow. Got a reel mower (yeah the kind that only works if it is being pushed) from a friend. That was about 25 years ago. Still have the Toro, still don't know what part was needed and given it is ~30 years old, I bet I couldn't get the part anyway. Might be time to add it to the scrap metal pile. I have a 54" Sears rider now that I have a lot more to mow seeing as how we moved to this place 5 years ago.


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## NH homesteader (Oct 26, 2016)

My husband is a small engine mechanic so I'm lucky.  He works mostly on stuff for people who can't afford those kind of shop rates. 

You could find the part if you knew where to look! You wouldn't believe the parts we've found online!


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## Bruce (Oct 26, 2016)

I'll send the Toro to you and your husband can tell me what it needs


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## Bossroo (Oct 26, 2016)

After my father in law retired ,he worked (part time as a hobby) as needed on and kept running farm tractors from 1920s onward by commercial flower growers in San Diego, Cal..  He either found needed parts, or if no longer available  , he remanufactured or modified a similar part in his own garage to make it work.


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## NH homesteader (Oct 26, 2016)

Yep my husband has done that too! All the parts make my head spin but that's  how his brain  works. It's cool.


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## misfitmorgan (Oct 27, 2016)

Bruce said:


> 41" bar!!!!! I would not touch that either. Hmmm, you sure about that, what I find says 32" max (which is still way more that I would ever touch). Mine is just a little 16" and it is a Stihl homeowner easy start type.



DH's chainsaw is a Stihl 440 magnum commercial and yes im sure he has a 41" bar on it now and has for the past 2 yrs. His saw is not like the new USA made ones it is one made in germany and built for commercial use to be used day in and day out for loggers, when needed. It is a very heavy bodied saw so if your cutting wood all day most people wouldnt use a 440, just happens to be the only one we own. 



NH homesteader said:


> My husband says they make 5' bars. You can see them on YouTube,  and it's terrifying!
> .



He also owns a 7' two man bar that fits on the same saw but he doesnt have another 440 for the other side of it. I am very scared to see it running.



Bruce said:


> Didn't realize the wood hadn't been cut down yet. It won't dry enough to burn well if it is cut now unless it has been standing dead a few years. I've never cut a tree down either, just cut up a couple of trees that had dropped but were held up not too far off the ground in another tree.
> 
> Do you have another source of heat for the house?
> 
> ...



We cut dead standing Ash, it is ready to burn as soon as you get it on the ground which is why we cut it. Emerald ash borer killed all the Ash in Michigan, so for the past 5-10yrs everyone has been cutting it for ready to use firewood. Cedar can also be burned right away but we dont use much of that to much creo.

No we have no other way to heat our house. The furnace didnt work when we moved in which is why we use a wood burner.

Yes there are many many things wrong with the tractor but since the tractors are on loan to us for only about a month at a time we are not going to put the several thousand dollars into fixing them, nor could we afford to even if we wanted too. DH is a small and large engine mechanic as well as a welder and master blacksmith...he can fix anything but unless the owners are buying the parts those two tractors are not getting fixed anytime soon. We do not have the resources atm to buy a tractor. As far as farmers depending on something etc....yes most farmers around here do depend on those tractors, it is far more common to see very old tractors limping along then it is to see "modern" tractors being used. Farmers do not want to go that far into debt so they save money for sometimes decades to afford to pay cash for a "new" piece of equipment. We do not have many commercial farmers around locally, in fact there are only 2 i know of and they have the brand new tractors and brand new balers and new new new but they are also in debt well over several million dollars. Old fashioned farmers will never do that because the risk is to high to lose everything.

I bet he does too but he is stubborn, the Dr told him he needed surgery 2yrs ago. So we rushed to find a farm we could afford so we could get things set up before he HAD to have surgery...we are obviously still working on it.


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## NH homesteader (Oct 27, 2016)

7' bar? That's terrifying! My husband used to sell Stihl and Echo chainsaws. I won't even run a chainsaw,  they freak me out.  So all cutting jobs are his by default! 

We don't have a tractor either. Makes things more than a little bit difficult sometimes!


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## misfitmorgan (Oct 27, 2016)

NH homesteader said:


> 7' bar? That's terrifying! My husband used to sell Stihl and Echo chainsaws. I won't even run a chainsaw,  they freak me out.  So all cutting jobs are his by default!
> 
> We don't have a tractor either. Makes things more than a little bit difficult sometimes!



Oh yes...it worse when he has to drop trees that scares me a lot. The only thing worse is when he has to climb birch. Birch rots from the inside out so the tree can appear fine and he can be climbing it and it seems fine but then suddenly snaps, he always charges more to drop birch for people when it has to be climbed vs the charge to drop any other same size tree.

No tractor definitely limits what  we can do but we just try to plan accordingly. Plan for things that require a tractor when we have the loaned tractors at the farm.


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## Bruce (Oct 27, 2016)

Ah, I had ASSUMED (silly me) that you owned the tractors. Clearly the people that own them don't use them much or they would at least improve the start time. I don't have the money to buy a tractor right now either. Sure would be nice though.

A 2 man chain saw with 2 power heads and a 7' bar?? I don't think I even want to see that in operation. Talk about scary!

Damned Emerald Ash Borers  Ash is such a nice wood, splits almost like butter. Glad at least if he is hand splitting it is nice straight grained ash, not rock maple or twisty stringy gnarly elm. You don't even try to split elm up the center. Glad too that the wood is ready to burn soon as it is cut. 

Okay, I have a suggestion (for what it is worth, maybe nothing). Since it IS ash, get a couple of splitting wedges (I bet you already have them) and a hand sledge (which you also probably have) and split the smaller diameter blocks. You won't need to raise it overhead and risk dislocating your shoulders. Once the wedge is holding in place, you can 2 hand the sledge. When I have split ash, it typically popped apart by the time the sledge/wedge was halfway down the piece, often sooner. Not like birch, especially white birch. That "elastic" bark will hold the halves together and they trap the wedge. I've had to use a hatchet to split the bark along the split in the wood to get the pieces separated. 

Every little bit helps, right?


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## misfitmorgan (Oct 27, 2016)

Bruce said:


> Ah, I had ASSUMED (silly me) that you owned the tractors. Clearly the people that own them don't use them much or they would at least improve the start time. I don't have the money to buy a tractor right now either. Sure would be nice though.
> 
> A 2 man chain saw with 2 power heads and a 7' bar?? I don't think I even want to see that in operation. Talk about scary!
> 
> ...



Ironically the massey is the only tractor the guy owns....he uses it for field work so as long as he isnt doing crops or hay we get to use it and luckily he only lives 2 miles from us. The ford owner has several different tractors but none are in jump on and ride condition just none so bad as the ford...which is why we get to use it. The length we get to use them varies though, sometimes it is a few days and sometimes they leave the tractor there for a few months.

I misunderstood i guess....the two man bar can have the power unit attached to either side...the other side has a type of handle for the other fellow to hold. If this link works here is a video on one....with a shortish 2-man bar. https://goo.gl/images/xQ1zXY

I never thought to use a wedge. I can split ash as long as it is  a shorter cut block about 10" or so with no knots or anything weird in it. I have to hold the maul so funny in front of me to do it that by the time i get a block done im about ready to die from my back. He has me use a death table which helps but scares me lol. I can clean the entire barn by myself but i can only split one block of wood...it frustrating  i will have to try the wedge and see it thats better. DH does keep a small supply of 10" or smaller Ash blocks for me in case i need more firewood and he isnt home. He also will cut slices out of harder woods so i can split them if i need too. Yes he could just split those all but he is trying to help me learn how i can split wood and how big of pieces i can do depending on wood type. 

This thread is getting way off from the face wool topic


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## NH homesteader (Oct 27, 2016)

Lol I was just going to ask,  so how is the sheep anyway?


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## Bruce (Oct 27, 2016)

Good question @NH homesteader ! I was thinking the same thing @misfitmorgan as I post (after post after post). Sorry for taking it so off topic

(but I will add 1 last thing. *I* do NOT want to be the guy holding the non power end of that 2 man saw!)


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## misfitmorgan (Oct 27, 2016)

Bruce said:


> Good question @NH homesteader ! I was thinking the same thing @misfitmorgan as I post (after post after post). Sorry for taking it so off topic
> 
> (but I will add 1 last thing. *I* do NOT want to be the guy holding the non power end of that 2 man saw!)



Ditto on everything!


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