[YuccaFlatsRanch]

Eureka - I have found a reliable and excellent shearer in South Central Texas. He lives in Rocksprings and works the areas around Kerrville, San Antonio, Del Rio, San Angelo, Fredericksburg, etc. He charges based on the number of sheep to be sheared and he is GOOD and FAST. I didn't detect any second cuts. NEVER will I ever shear by myself again. I am too slow and too old. He has been shearing for 23 years and is only 37 years old.

His name is Ernesto and phone numbers are available by PM.

 

[ajaxlucy]

What a find! You must be ecstataic. I wish he took working vacations out my way.

 

[YuccaFlatsRanch]

Happy enough that my almost new Wahl Lister Star shears are going to go on Ebay any day now.

I sheared last year and managed one sheep a day. He sheared my 8 ewes and rams in less than 30 minutes, with much less stress than the sheep would have had with me doing it. Got them sheared just in time for the south Texas HEAT. It has been very cool this year and as you all know very WET. I just kept putting it off, waiting for the sheep to dry out.

6 of the fleeces, of which 3 are prime yearling (18 month old) first shearing fleeces will go on Ebay too. They were nice long wooled, oatmeal colored fleeces. I had kept last years fleeces, but comparing them to what he did for me, my fleeces from last year will get used as mulch this next winter. I am embarrassed to show them to anyone.

 

[Ross]

Yucca youi should have a set of shears on hand for vetting purposes and maybe crutching. You know flystrike or wounds etc.

 

[YuccaFlatsRanch]

I still have hand shears still on hand that do a pretty good job of doing SMALL jobs. I also have several Human sets of clippers that can be used if absolutely necessary (after I cut away the long stuff with hand shears).

I am also looking at shearing twice a year. It gives me a much better idea of body condition and we really don't get "cold" here at all. I'd shear in early March and maybe again in late August or early September. First frost isn't until late November. I will watch this year to see how much fleece they grow prior to cold. We only get a handful of days / nights in the 20's and seldom much below that. Coldest I have ever seen is 9F, last year only 2 nights under 20F. Can't figure the sheep would suffer any more than the Anatolian Shepherds or the goats.