Shearing half a sheep for summer

[secuono]

I've read that people shave the underside of LGDs for Summer, since the coat helps to insulate from heat. Could you also shave just the bottom, low sides, all of the legs, over the tail and a bit up the chest instead of a full shear? That would give you longer wool instead of w/e the yearly shear length is. It would just skip one year, so they'd be shaved bald every other year.
Just a Q.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

I wouldn't do it. I personally think it's not fair for the sheep to do that, since we humans bred them to retain their wool. If you're looking for a longer staple length, then buy a wool breed known for that, or cross your sheep with them. JMO.

 

[SheepGirl]

No, I don't think it would be a good idea. When we had issues with the shearer (when two sheep died while being sheared), we had him stop after the last one that died and so there were still about 8 or 9 that didn't get sheared. They were kept until May (it was April-ish when this happened). But still, they were panting. My neighbor just sent them to auction because he didn't want to deal with a sheep dying due to the heat. And we're only in Maryland and it really doesn't get that hot in May (maybe in the low 70s). But you've got to figure, they have 2-4" of fleece which is VERY dense, especially after winter. They grow winter coats, too; it's just hard to tell because they already have a wool coat on top. I can't imagine how they would've reacted if my neighbor let them go until July or August.

Also, shearing the bottom parts, IMO, doesn't really affect the sheep because the belly of a sheep is not being exposed to the hot sun. It's the top that will be.

 

[secuono]

But when they lay on the ground, their bare bellies will be touching the cold ground.


If they grow extra wool for Winter, wouldn't it be best to butcher lambs in Spring when they have this extra wool? It'd be better for sheepskins, no?

 

[TheSheepGirl]

I haven't notice that my wool sheep have any problems with the heat when I have them retain their fleeces. It gets up to 100 degrees here in the summer, too.

Wool is a very good insulator against both the heat and the cold. I've found that the sheep who have a full fleece are often cooler and less heat stressed than those who have been shorn to the skin for butcher.

Keep in mind, though that Wool sheep have been bred for generations retaining their wool in the summer and shorn only once per year. Meat sheep have been raised for generations being shorn multiple times per year to keep the wool shorter. Since wool sheep have been bred for generations to deal with the heat with their fleeces on and meat sheep have been bred to deal with heat without a fleece their is a vast difference between meat and wool sheep when it comes to having wool during the heat.

Wool sheep also have a generally softer, less constricting and less dense type of wool than meat sheep. This is another reason for the differences in dealing with heat.

That being said, a wool breed of sheep that has been bred to retain their fleece during the summer months will do just fine with a shorn belly, legs, and tail. However, a meat sheep, such as a Suffolk or Hampshire will not do as well in the heat with its fleece on.

My only concern is the quality of the wool if you leave it on for two years. That means twice as much rain, dirt, and sun damage to the wool. It may have a longer staple length, but it will probably be a lower quality fleece.