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Yarn • Roving • Fleeces • Kits • Gifts • Fiber Consultation
One of the most important jobs in the care of your fiber animals is shearing. Not only because the fiber is a valuable product, but also for the comfort and health of your animals. A fiber- producing animal in our Alpacas and sheep are shorn in the spring, although there are a few sheep breeds that require a fall shearing also. It is best to shear sheep before lambing as it enables the farmer to see to help if necessary in lambing and also for cleanliness of the fleece. As a fiber artist my goal is to get the fleece off your animals in the best condition possible. This means less work for you regarding skirting, better quality finished product, higher value for your fiber, and if you are marketing to handspinners - happy return customers. The following shearing and related services are offered:
After receiving your request I will contact you by e-mail or phone and schedule your farm. I will also send you a confirmation letter with shearing day notes and confirmation of type, number of animals, and services requested. On shearing day, I arrive early and it's best if the animals have been caught up in a central location, preferably a small pen. Sarah has been involved in shearing since 2005 when she began shearing as part of a sheep-to-shawl event sponsored by a local living history museum and spinning guild. Enjoying the experience so much she attended a 2-day sheep shearing school in Uniontown, Maryland, sponsored by University of Maryland and Maryland Cooperative Extension in early 2006. Later, in early spring, she also attended an alpaca shearing clinic at Fireweed Farm Alpacas in Maidens, Virginia, and began working side-by-side with Teri Phipps, shearing for local alpaca farms. Later in the spring of 2006, she ventured out on her own with Teri’s blessing and referrals. Along with her son, Thomas, as her helper, she sheared in Central and Northern Virginia. In 2007, shearing will expand to include all of Virginia and the surrounding states. If I’m shearing sheep, I ask that I have good light, a flat dry area, and a large piece of plywood to work on--carpeting will work in a pinch. I like to be situated close to the animals so that I don’t expend all Due to the physical nature of sheep shearing, I prefer flocks of 10 or less. Larger flocks can be done, but will require scheduling extra assistants.
I currently use a pole system on the floor for restraining the animals. If you have a shearing table I am always happy to use one. I will bring one helper with me who takes care of switching blades, trimming hooves, and training farm hands on shearing day. The farm needs to provide, at a minimum, three additional helpers so that we have a total of 5 (this includes me). Helpers are needed for bagging and labeling fleeces, retrieving animals, putting on restraints, and handling the head and rear legs. Experience is not necessary, just a willingness to keep busy and get a little dirty! There are no size limits on alpaca herds, as the restraint system removes the physical limitations. It is not unreasonable to do 30-35+ animals in one day. If we're doing more and need to take another day we are happy to be hosted at your farm or stay by your recommendation at a local motel.
Don’t know what to do with your fleeces and don’t want to keep them? I’d be more than happy to take those fleeces off your hands! Please let me know. Want to keep them, but don’t know what to do with them? We’d be happy to advise you as to your options and even put you in touch with the resources you need.  Sarah Rawlings • Mary Clare Hughes •
info@falllinefiber.com
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Sarah does the shearing of both alpaca herds and hobby sheep farms and is available to shear year round. I will travel throughout Virginia, Maryland, and northern North Carolina at this point in time. It is advisable to reserve your shearing spot early by filling out the shearing request form.
part of the country that isn’t shorn is put under tremendous physical stress during the summer months trying to regulate its temperature in our hot, humid climate. As a fiber artist and animal lover, I want to help you acquire the best possible product from your animals as well as optimize the quality of life for the animal.
my energy trying to move them a great distance. If someone is available to fetch each sheep, all the better. If the weather is rainy, keep sheep under cover as I will not shear when fleeces are wet. Access to electricity is important. I use electric shears and will bring a 50 ft extension cord. Blade shearing is available; please note blade shearing as your preference in the comments section on the shearing request form. Please take animals off feed for 24 hours. This helps keep the sheep comfortable during shearing as their bellies are not full and also reduces the likelihood of them "dirtying" their fleeces during shearing.
One thing that helps on shearing day is to prepare your animals. About a week before shearing, move your animals to a clean paddock, and please don’t feed hay from an overhead bin. If you have a shop vac, it can work wonders in getting out dirt and other matter from fleeces. You can also use a blower to blow out dirt if you blow the air across the fiber. However, this is not my first choice, as it can tend to actually push dirt deeper into the fiber if not done correctly.