Purdue University	Mimeo A. H. 193
Agricultural Extension Service	February, 1957
Lafayette, Indiana
SHEARING SHEEP
A perfect job of shearing consists of:
l. Cutting each fiber of wool once only, next to the skine
2. Keeping the fleece all in one piece0
3. Minimizing straw and dirt in fleece*
4. Removing leg hair, tags and all dark wool from fleeces*
5. Handling the sheep carefully to avoid injury and scratches*
6. Making sure that the wool is dry when shorn*
7. Tying each fleece with paper twine*
In order to do a good ,iob of shearing:
1.	Make sure that equipment is in perfect running order. Cutters
and combs must be sharp. Comb teeth must be worked down if they are sharp or rough.
2. Take a good stroke. Start with each tooth of the comb against
the skin; cut each fiber of wool only once; end this stroke against the skin and back out.
3.	Hold the sheep so that the sheep is resting and the skin is
smooth in the area that is being shorn. -Learn the Australian method of shearing.
4.	Shear before the ewes go to pasture in the spring if poss-
ible .
Shear lambs that aren't fat and heavy enough to sell in July*
When shearing in the summer, protect the sheep from sunburn and flies for a few days. Use a fly repellent, such as EQ335 or Smear 62.
Shear the heads of wool blind sheep and ‘'crotch outt? feeder lambs and ewes before the breeding season.
Shear the rams a month before the breeding season.
COOPERATIVE EXTENSION WORK IN AGRICULTURE AND HOME ECONOMICS State of Indiana, Purdue University And the United States Department of Agriculture Cooperating* H* J. Reed, Director, Lafayette, Indiana Issued in furtherance of the Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914.