This is a quick and to the point guide on the main benefits of why it's a great idea to shear your sheep regularly.
So if you're wondering why sheep get shorn often...
You'll find the answers to most of your questions in this guide!
1. Prevention of flystrike: Shearing gives the best protection against flystirke because the sun is able to get through to the skin and kill the fly eggs.
2. Healthier sheep: Regular shearing helps prevent health issues in your sheep, such as skin infections, and parasitic infections like Ticks.
3. Reduced risk of heat stress: Sheep with thick woollen coats are at risk of heat stress during hot weather. Shearing helps to keep them cool and comfortable.
4. Improved weight gain: Sheep gain weight more easily after shearing, as they become more active and graze more often. They don't have the extra weight of their wool to carry around which can cause them to rest in the shade.
5. Easier management: A shorter coat makes it easier to monitor the sheep's health and spot any problems early.
6. Better reproductive performance: Sheep that are regularly shorn tend to have better reproductive performance, as they are less stressed and more comfortable during breeding season.
7. Improved lambing success: Pregnant ewes that are shorn before lambing improve their overall health and the health of their unborn lambs.
Shearing during pregnancy is shown to increase birth weights of lambs which makes a big difference to their survival rate if bad weather strikes during lambing.
If there is bad weather during lambing, the ewe will seek shetler if it has a shorter coat of wool, which greatly improves the survival rate of a newborn lamb. Rather than giving birth out in the open, exposed to the elements.
8. Easier lambing: Shearing pregnant ewes before lambing can help reduce the risk of complications during birth.
It makes it easier for lambs to find their mother's teats as they are unable to mistakenly suckle the wool around the udder instead of the teats.
9. Increased lifespan: Regular shearing can increase a sheep's lifespan by reducing the risk of health issues and improving overall health.
10. Comfort: Shearing removes excess wool and keeps sheep cool in warmer months, making them more comfortable. It helps prevent the buildup of dirt, sweat, and other debris that can attract pests and cause skin infections.
11. Better wool quality: Shearing removes the old, matted wool from the sheep, allowing new, higher quality wool to grow.
12. Increased Productivity: Shearing increases the productivity of a flock by making it easier to care for your sheep.
Overall, regular shearing is an important aspect of sheep husbandry that promotes increased productivity and the health and wellbeing of your flock.