Judging a Flock By Its Cover

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Equipped with the right cutters, the shearer's remaining needs are simple: someone to bring in sheep one at a time; a level surface free of hay; and dry animals that haven't eaten for several hours. "You can't shear sheep if they're wet," says Beamer, "and it makes them uncomfortable when you set them up and their stomachs are full."

Attached to the right clipper head, this 13-tooth, flared comb is the ideal tool for shearing fine wool.

How do you locate good shearers and what can you expect to pay? Ask someone who owns sheep and be prepared to describe yours. While most professionals charge per head, the amount can vary tremendously, depending on your location, number of sheep and wool type. A shearer wanting $2 a head for zipping through 100 five-pound Suffolk fleeces in eight hours may not have the correct cutter combs or patience to remove 15-pound fine wool fleeces without "second cuts" - even if you triple her normal charge. (Second cuts, a handspinner's curse, occur when a shearer goes back over an area after the original stroke. The resulting short fibers make wool fuzzy" and very difficult to spin.)

Most sheep are sheared in the spring, but not all. Some are sheared before lambing. Wool-less sheep seek shelter more quickly on cold, wet days, taking the lambs with them. Plus, lambs easily find their sheared mama's teats.

Most wool grows four to six inches a year, a desirable fiber length. Leaving wool long through summer can add to insect and maggot problems.

While it may be tempting to save a dollar and shear your own sheep, be warned: Shearing is a complex, laborintensive, backbreaking skill that sends most wool growers scrambling for a good position on a professional shearer's docket. Picture yourself catching a 170-pound ewe and convincing her to hold still while you remove her winter coat with a quick-moving sharp object. It's certainly possible to shear sheep with hand-powered shearing scissors, but whether you'll come away with solid, usable fleeces is another matter. And one snipping slip can injure the shepherd or kill the sheep.

It may be best to limit your cutting to the "skirting" table, where you'll cull, or skirt, the short wool from around your fleeces' edges. Belly and leg wool scraps can be used for quilt batting or turned into felt. The remaining fleece, comprised of back and some neck wool, contains the longest, finest and most valuable fiber.

Goin' to Market

All wool sells in the grease, unless a shepherd decides to add value by producing a product such as roving or felt.

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