28 May 2025

4 steps for easier shearing

Shearing is one of the busiest days of the year on sheep farms, but by completing a couple of simple tasks beforehand the job can be made that little bit easier.

David Heraty of the Irish Wool Council provides some key tips in the below video to not only make the job easier on the sheep, the farmer and the shearer, but to also ensure the presentation of wool is improved – an important factor in improving the value of the product produced.

David’s key takeaways are: ensure sheep are dry and fasted before shearing; separate lambs from ewes to reduce stress and fleece soiling; remove dags to keep the wool clean; and arrange for extra help to manage sheep and wool handling.

Step 1: Preparation

• House and fast sheep the night before shearing
  • This ensures sheep are empty the next morning, reducing stress for both the animals and the shearer.
• Keep sheep dry
  • Housing sheep in a dry environment prevents damp wool, which can negatively affect wool quality and increase safety risks for the shearer.
• Avoid concrete flooring
  • Ideally, sheep should be housed on slatted floors or accumulated winter bedding rather than fresh straw, which can stick to the fleece.
• If housing is not possible, keep sheep in a bare paddock.

Step 2: Draft ewes from lambs

• Drafting ewes from lambs facilitates easier movement of ewes. Ewes will be anxious to return to the lambs and this will reduce the risk of fleeces becoming soiled.

Step 3: Dagging

• Remove dags from ewes prior to shearing. Dagging beforehand reduces extra work and prevents contamination of the wool during shearing.

Step 4: Additional help

• Having extra help available on shearing day makes the task that little bit easier. One person can focus on handling the sheep, while the other manages the wool.

For more tips and advice on handling wool, visit the Irish Grown Wool Council website here.