Shearing

Shearing wrapped up last week. We only have about 1500-2000 sheep these days so shearing only goes for just over a week, weather permitting.

We get professional shearers in to attend to the job and the hubby, his brother and father are the shed hands, wool classers, wool pickers and sweepers.

Up until he was 72 years old my father in law use to shear one sheep on the hour for the shearers as an old fashioned good will gesture (the shearers are paid per sheep they shear). He has slowed down quite a but in the last 12 months but still wont retire. Actually, I think if he left the farm he would die, it's been his whole life, he loves it.

Little Benny bruiser loves to help sweep in the shearing shed, so does our 5 year old daughter, although she's now at primary school so only gets a turn after the school bus.

Ben is now trying to shear me!!! He asks me to get on the ground and then he pretends to 'drag' me out of the pens, swings the leg over and pretends to shear me!! He has been taking so much notice of what the shearers do, it's amazing.