Fitting Breeding Sheep
Melanie Barkley
Bedford County Extension Agent
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A well presented
sheep sends a postive message to both judges and potential
buyers. It is always important to have your sheep looking
their best when presented for show or sale.
Fitting a breeding
sheep for show is a lengthy process that should begin by
"cutting out" the sheep six to eight weeks prior
to the show. This fact sheet contains information on how
to cut out a sheep as well as how to fit the sheep at show
time.
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| Tools |
Before you even get started you should have the necessary
tools on hand. You wouldn't fix a car without the proper tools,
and likewise you don't want to try to fit a sheep without
the proper tools. Here are some items you will want to have
available.
- electric shears
- foot shears
- soap
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- towels
- cards for the body and head
- hand shears
- curry comb
- spray bottle
- blankets
- hoods
- livestock blow dryer (optional)
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| Cutting Out |
| Cuting out a sheep involves shearing the sheep, but leaving wool
on the top-line, butt, legs, and poll. This gives you an opportunity
to shorten the wool before washing as well as an opportunity to
shape the top-line and butt of the sheep. You can also trim feet
at this time. |
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When cutting out your
sheep for show, start by shearing the belly.
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Start by shearing the belly and neck of the sheep. Shear
the wool off the stifle on the rear legs, but leave the
wool on the outside of the leg and on the lower part of
the legs. Some people do this with the sheep sitting on
his butt, while others prefer to do this on the trimming
stand. You can shear the cheeks at this time also. Be sure
to leave wool on the poll if your breed of sheep grows wool
there.
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Shear across the stifle,
leaving wool on the outside of the leg.
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Shear the sides of the
sheep, leaving
wool along the top-line.
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Once the sheep is on the stand, you can start by shearing
the sides. Completely shear the sides of the sheep back
to the hip.You will want to shear just the top of the wool
over the top-line, leaving about an inch of wool. When shearing
the front end, leave the wool on the lower part of the legs.
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Shear the front end and
forearms down to the knees.
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Leg wool on a sheep should
be trimmed neatly.
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Blend the sides into the top-line and butt wool
with a set of hand shears. You can curry the long wooled areas
to help break apart the wool fibers. Finally, card the butt
wool, then trim to further blend into the sheared areas and
to finish shaping.
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Blend the sides into wool at the top-line.
Also, trim the top-line to look level
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Shear the butt wool to give shape and
definition
to the rear leg.
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The finished lamb that
has been cut out should have
a level top-line.
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| The last step would be to shape the poll on sheep with a wool
cap and to trim the legs of sheep with wool on the legs. The legs
should be trimmed to remove the longest part of the wool. Leave
about an inch or two of wool on the lower part of the legs when
you are finished. |
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| Bathing |
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You should plan to bath your sheep five to seven days before
the show. Keep pens bedded daily so the sheep stays clean until
show day. Also, cut back on the amount of grain you are feeding
to keep the manure firmer. This is helpful in keeping your sheep
clean. The purpose of washing the sheep this length of time before
the show is to allow the wool to "set up" prior to trimming.
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| Assemble your supplies before you start. Place the trimming stand
on a level area where the wash water will drain away. You should
also have your hose hooked up with a spray nozzle. Other supplies
needed are foot shears, soap, curry comb, and towels. A livestock
blow dryer is optional. |
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Once the sheep is on the stand, start by trimming her feet.
You may want to give her a few minutes to relax and adjust
to being on the stand before starting to trim the feet.
Cold, warm, or hot water can be used to wash the sheep.
However, hot water is helpful for softening the grease in
the wool and can allow you to get the sheep cleaner and
brighter white in color.
When wetting the sheep, start at the shoulder to get the
sheep used to the water. then rinse the head and neck and
work your way down and back. Use the water pressure to help
float as much dirt as possible out of the wool before adding
soap and scrubbing.
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Begin washing at the
front of the sheep and move toward the rear to float dirt
out of the wool.
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| Any type of soap can be used, as long as it is thoroughly rinsed
out. If you miss any soap in the wool, you may find yourself showing
a sheep with green spots! Many people use Orvis, although others
prefer Ivory or Dawn dish soap. Depending on how dirty the sheep
is, you may need to wash twice to get the wool a bright white color.
When rinsing, begin with the head and work your way down and back.
Again, use the pressure in the hose to help "float" out
any dirt remaining after washing. After rinsing, squeeze out as
much water as you can and then either towel dry or blow dry. A blower
is helpful in removing any remaining dirt or hay seeds left after
washing. |
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Be sure to rinse out all
of the soap.
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When blow drying the sheep, blow at an angle, so that the
water and any dirt is blown off the sheep and not down into
the skin. Use a curry comb when finished to help break up
the wool fibers. This is helpful when carding as the wool
fibers are easier to pick up with the card.
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If you use a blower, blow the wool at
an angle to avoid tangling wool fibers.
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Once the sheep is dry, put on a blanket and place in a
separate pen in the barn for your show sheep. The banket
should be long enough to cover the sheep without being tight
or excessively loose. You can check the correct length by
holding the blanket up to the side of the sheep while on
the trimming stand. Before placing the sheep in a show pen,
add clean bedding and check for any areas that may catch
and tear the blanket.
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A correctly fitted blanket
should match the length of the sheep and not fit too snugly.
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Pin the hood to the blanket
at the top of the shoulders, leaving enough length for the
sheep to put her head down to eat.
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After the sheep is in her pen, you can put on her hood.
Pin the hood to the top of the blanket where the neck section
of the blanket attaches to the body section of the blanket.
Allow enough length for the sheep to put her head down to
eat. Be sure to use a heavy blanket pin that is designed
for this purpose. General purpose pins will not be strong
enough to keep the hood pinned to the blanket.
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Trimming
Wait two to three days after bathing to begin trimming
your sheep. This will give the wool time to set up so that
it will trim smooth and remain smooth between trimmings.
Start off by putting the sheep on the stand and shearing
the belly. Leave the belly-line low enough to blend into
the sides.
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Shear the belly on the
sheep, leaving the shear-line low enough to blend in.
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Start your trimming job by using a curry comb to break
apart the wool fibers. This will make the wool easier to
card and will allow you to pull up all the wool fibers for
a smooth trim job. Fill a bucket with hot water and add
a small amount of soap; enough to make a foam of bubbles
on top. Using a brush, lightly wash over the sheep. Work
the brush from front to back to remove the dirt without
scrubbing it into the wool. Start at the neck and work your
way down and back. Wash the belly last because it will be
the most dirty.
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Wash lightly with soapy water, working
from head to rear.
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Curry the wool to break
apart wool fibers.
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Again, curry the wool and then begin towelling
the sheep dry. This is also known as rubbing them out. This
should lift off any surface dirt and keep them a bright white
color. After drying, start carding the wool. The more you
card, the better the wool will set up and thus the more smooth
the appearance after trimming. Carding is probably the most
important part of fitting. A good card job can go a long way
toward a professional appearing trim job. |
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| When you trim, start at one end of the sheep and trim to the other
end. In other words, try to trim in the longest stroke possible.
To work the hand shears, your thumb should remain still while your
fingers pull one blade toward the blade next to your thumb. The
shears should be worked quickly, but moved slowly across the sheep.
It will take some practice prior to the show fitting to learn the
proper use of the shears and to be able to trim smoothly without
cutting any holes into the wool or making "cat-steps"
across the side of the sheep. If you do cut a hole into the wool,
simply recard and trim back over the hole to make it smooth. The
finished sheep should have shoulders that are smoothly blended into
the body, a level trimmed top-line, a square dock, and a butt with
some dimension. |
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Trim the shoulders to
blend in smoothly at the point of the shoulder.
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The top-line should
be trimmed to a right angle with the neck. Adjust the head
piece on the stand so that the sheep is holding its head
as it would in the show ring.
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Trim the top-line to
appear smooth and level.
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Be sure the shape of
the rear-view is balanced.
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| On sheep with wool on their legs and poll, you will need to wash
these again right before the show. This is often done the day before
or the morning of the show. Use a bucket of warm soapy water and
place each leg in the bucket to wash. Rinse with cool water by placing
the leg in the clean water bucket. Wash the head and poll using
a brush and rub out as with the body. Card up the legs and trim
off the longer wool to make smooth. As for the head, shape into
a cap and make smooth. You may also want to shear the cheeks on
your sheep to give her a more youthful and neater appearance. |
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Blend wool around the
neck and ears.
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Your sheep should now be ready to show. Put the blanket
and hood back on and sit back and relax for a few moments
before your class is called. Good luck and have fun!
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Trim the poll smooth
if your sheep has a wool cap.
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Return to Sheep Home Study
Course Lessons Page
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This
publication is available in alternative media on request.
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