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Pinedale Online > News > April 2007 > Spring sheep shearing

Shearing Progress. Photo by Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online.
Shearing Progress
Sheep move through a series of chutes into the plant where they are shorn. Shorn sheep are kicked out the exit doors on the back of the plant.
Spring sheep shearing
by Cat Urbigkit
April 27, 2007

Crews of professional sheep shearers are working throughout western Wyoming to shear domestic sheep flocks in preparation for spring lambing, which begins in May. A crew of five shearers took care of the Paradise Sheep Company's flock near Highway 351 earlier this week.

Photos by Cat Urbigkit



Penned. Photo by Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online.
Penned
The morning begins with penning the wooly critters and awaiting for the arrival of the shearing crew. Sheep are taken off feed and water for about 12 hours prior to shearing.

Inside View. Photo by Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online.
Inside View
This view shows the sheep on the ramp while shearers are hard at work inside the plant.

Sheep Chute. Photo by Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online.
Sheep Chute
The sheep are moved through a series of chutes to a ramp that takes them into the portable shearing plant.

Inside Line. Photo by Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online.
Inside Line
The plant includes a chute that runs in front of the shearing stands, so a shearer can press down on a sliding door to deposit a sheep at his feet.

Through Exit. Photo by Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online.
Through Exit
This is the view from the back side of the shearing plant, peeking through one of the exit doors used for freshly shorn sheep.

Exiting. Photo by Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online.
Exiting
A newly naked ewe comes out an exit door on the shearing plant.

Herder Watches. Photo by Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online.
Herder Watches
Sheepman Jim Urbigkit waits to move more sheep up the chute, and watches as they exit the plant freshly shorn.

Shorn Ewes. Photo by Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online.
Shorn Ewes
A group of newly naked ewes graze while waiting to be turned back out to their grazing range.

Wool Sorting. Photo by Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online.
Wool Sorting
Two New Zealand wool girls work hard at sorting and baling the wool. Each ewe yields 8-12 pounds of fine wool in the annual shearing.

Half Done. Photo by Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online.
Half Done
Cass Urbigkit pushes the remaining sheep up the chute.

Big Boys. Photo by Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online.
Big Boys
These rams weigh 250-300 pounds and have massive horns

Ram Wait. Photo by Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online.
Ram Wait
Rams wait patiently in the chute for their turn at the shearing stand.

Muscle. Photo by Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online.
Muscle
Sheep shearers have very well developed muscles from their daily activities.

Ram View. Photo by Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online.
Ram View
A Rambouillet ram looks out from his place in the shearing plant chute.

Ram Shear. Photo by Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online.
Ram Shear
Shearing a massive animal with horns to match is no minor task.

Ram Exit. Photo by Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online.
Ram Exit
A shorn ram leaves the shearing plant out an exit door.

Aftermath. Photo by Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online.
Aftermath
At the end of the day, all the sheep are shorn and it's time to go back to the range. Birds often pick up the wool bits left on the ground for use in nests.
 
Pinedale Online > News > April 2007 > Spring sheep shearing

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