Wool around eyes

[The Old Ram-Australia]

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

 

[misfitmorgan]

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.

 

[misfitmorgan]

@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.

 

[Alexz7272]

@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

 

[misfitmorgan]

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.

 

[The Old Ram-Australia]

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.

 

[babsbag]

She looks so much happier with her head cleaned up.

 

[misfitmorgan]

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.

 

[Bruce]

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.

 

[misfitmorgan]

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