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- #31
Show Sebright
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It is the Andes 10 ultra edge blade
The clippers are Andes AGC 2 speed, super speed +, blue
2022-2023 Market lamb
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The clippers are Andes AGC 2 speed, super speed +, blue
Ridgetop
Herd Master
Is that May of 2023? That is a long way off!
One problem you are having is with the clipper. The Andis clipper you are using s for dogs and goats. Unless you use a clipper with a sheep head you run the risk of clogging the blades with lanolin and dirt that is held in the wool by the lanolin. A clipper with a sheep head is what is recommended for shearing sheep, If you are clipping after washing your sheep with dish soap to cut the grease in the wool, you are probably able to shear the wool but will eventually burn out your clipper motor.
The reason you are getting "stripes" is due to the narrow width of the Andis clipper blades. The type of blades you have are about 1 1/2" wide. Standard sheep shearing blades are 3" wide. Since you are using a clipper that is not designed for lambs, you will have to adjust your shearing. You need to overlap each stroke of the clipper to remove the blade marks as you do each sweep of the clipper. Pull the hide tight as you shear. After shearing the first time you can wash the lamb again, and try to remove more wool. Shearing the lamb while wet or heavily damp is easier than shearing dry wool and will give you a cleaner cut.
Hope this helps. There are also shearing tutorials on U Tube. Make sure you watch the "show shearing" tutorial instead of a tutorial about shearing wool sheep for the fleece.
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- #33
Show Sebright
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Yes this helps me. Do you think the blade im using is fine? Thanks for the helpIs that May of 2023? That is a long way off!
One problem you are having is with the clipper. The Andis clipper you are using s for dogs and goats. Unless you use a clipper with a sheep head you run the risk of clogging the blades with lanolin and dirt that is held in the wool by the lanolin. A clipper with a sheep head is what is recommended for shearing sheep, If you are clipping after washing your sheep with dish soap to cut the grease in the wool, you are probably able to shear the wool but will eventually burn out your clipper motor.
The reason you are getting "stripes" is due to the narrow width of the Andis clipper blades. The type of blades you have are about 1 1/2" wide. Standard sheep shearing blades are 3" wide. Since you are using a clipper that is not designed for lambs, you will have to adjust your shearing. You need to overlap each stroke of the clipper to remove the blade marks as you do each sweep of the clipper. Pull the hide tight as you shear. After shearing the first time you can wash the lamb again, and try to remove more wool. Shearing the lamb while wet or heavily damp is easier than shearing dry wool and will give you a cleaner cut.
Hope this helps. There are also shearing tutorials on U Tube. Make sure you watch the "show shearing" tutorial instead of a tutorial about shearing wool sheep for the fleece.
Ridgetop
Herd Master
You don't need to use anything too fine. Using a finer blade takes a chance on cutting your lamb. When we showed dairy goats, DS2 and 3 used surgical blades on the udders and had to be extremely careful not to nick the tender skin. They would shave udders before milking when the udders were full to avoid wrinkly skin.
Another secret to shearing - if you ever show a black animal (sheep or goat) shear or shave a little sooner since you want the black coat to grow out enough that it doesn't show any white skin underneath. Usually a week before fair. Black market lambs are very eye catching in the ring because of their color. The problem is that because they are black the judge has trouble identifying muscle ripples. All muscling disappears into the black of the coat. Just like wearing black to appear slimmer - the color hides any ripples! A black market lamb has to be extremely good and very long to show well in the ring. A better color is a dark iron gray lamb. Again you want to leave a week's worth of wool on him to show up better. And again he will be more eye catching in the ring since everyone else will have a white lamb.
These are tricks to try once you have more experience choosing and showing market lambs.
FYI: Make sure to scrub your lamb's hooves with a small brush to get all manure out of them. You can polish your lamb's hooves with an oily rag a you enter the show ring. Leave the rag at the ring gate. Cleanliness of your uniform and lamb are important in Showmanship. When you compete in Showmanship, the judge does not judge the animal but how you present him, and the cleanliness and care with which he is groomed.
Another secret to shearing - if you ever show a black animal (sheep or goat) shear or shave a little sooner since you want the black coat to grow out enough that it doesn't show any white skin underneath. Usually a week before fair. Black market lambs are very eye catching in the ring because of their color. The problem is that because they are black the judge has trouble identifying muscle ripples. All muscling disappears into the black of the coat. Just like wearing black to appear slimmer - the color hides any ripples! A black market lamb has to be extremely good and very long to show well in the ring. A better color is a dark iron gray lamb. Again you want to leave a week's worth of wool on him to show up better. And again he will be more eye catching in the ring since everyone else will have a white lamb.
These are tricks to try once you have more experience choosing and showing market lambs.
FYI: Make sure to scrub your lamb's hooves with a small brush to get all manure out of them. You can polish your lamb's hooves with an oily rag a you enter the show ring. Leave the rag at the ring gate. Cleanliness of your uniform and lamb are important in Showmanship. When you compete in Showmanship, the judge does not judge the animal but how you present him, and the cleanliness and care with which he is groomed.
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Show Sebright
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Thanks you so much @Ridgetop this helps me a lot.
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Show Sebright
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So I got some advice from a previous show sheep girl near me. I got him to brace!!! Here are some pictures of him. Dose he look knock kneed?
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Show Sebright
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Ridgetop
Herd Master
Sometimes you can get a bit close when clipping. That is why I said to trim hooves about a week ahead of the show just in case this happens. You can also train him to brace by putting hm on a bale of straw or hay and stacking hm up with his rear feet near the rear edge. It will teach him that if he tries to back up he will fall off the bale and he will instead push forward.
Legs from hock down should be a straight line so you can stack as far apart as to show that straight up and down line - Close together set of rear legs will give the impression of narrow butt and no meat. A good market animal has width between the legs.
When teaching showmanship to my project members ad to my children, we used an old wardrobe mirror door that we set up against the wall of the house. The kids could use it to see what their lamb, goat, calf, etc. looked like from the side. It is hard to understand what the instructor is telling you when you can only see the top of the animal looking down. The mirror meant the kids could see the side view (judge's view) of the animal in the mirror and correlate it with what they saw from the top of the animal while setting it up. It was super helpful.
Legs from hock down should be a straight line so you can stack as far apart as to show that straight up and down line - Close together set of rear legs will give the impression of narrow butt and no meat. A good market animal has width between the legs.
When teaching showmanship to my project members ad to my children, we used an old wardrobe mirror door that we set up against the wall of the house. The kids could use it to see what their lamb, goat, calf, etc. looked like from the side. It is hard to understand what the instructor is telling you when you can only see the top of the animal looking down. The mirror meant the kids could see the side view (judge's view) of the animal in the mirror and correlate it with what they saw from the top of the animal while setting it up. It was super helpful.
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- #39
Show Sebright
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UHG I hate being sick. I feel like I’m not giving Dutch enough attention right now. But we had fun and he jumped in mud! As soon as I get better I am washing him head to toe. Have y’all ever had a sheep herd you? He will push his head into the back of my knees and then hop from side to side directing me to his stall.
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