Sheep Shearing 101

So, if anyone wants to know how to sheep shear, let me know. I just spent the past weekend helping shear 55+ sheep in just about 3 days. I even helped out for 8 hours on my day off. It was insane. First, we had to gather all the sheep that are scattered around our property the week before shearing. Then, we had to force them into chutes to get them into small paddocks where it was easy to corner them. Once we had them cornered, we'd haul one out by grabbing their wool and either a horn (if they had one) or a leg. We then dragged them over to the tarp we were shearing on, and flipped them onto their side. We first sheared the neck and side, flipped them onto their back for the stomach, making sure if they were a boy to cut carefully :) Then onto the next side, gave them a shot of tetanus toxoid and let them free into the paddock again.

It went quite smoothly for a while. We had two sheep we were a bit concerned about. The first sheep had a snapped horn and growing inside the hollow opening were maggots. It was disgusting! After cleaning them out, we moved onto a girl who had an udder mastitis, basically a very swollen and infected udder. After milking her, we shot her full of antibiotics and sent her on her merry way. It was a fun time had by most, except for the sheep. I think they were pretty freaked out at the time, but now they are loving the life without their wool when it's around 85 degrees here.

I just learned my Grandma and Grandpa Noreen are coming to visit me in April! I'm so excited and I'm hoping all the wildflowers will be out by then. Mom's coming back to San Antonio for another work conference so I'll get to see her for a short time at the end of the month. Other than that, work's been great, but I'm feeling really down right now. Two of my roommates are leaving, their internship is up and today is their last day :( I'm really going to miss them. I also have either severe allergies to something down here or the most massive cold. I've been downing tea and zinc lozenges all day, and I'm going to bed as soon as I get off work. Love and miss you all.

Sara

P.S. New pictures are up!