Shearing is the first stage in transforming wool on the hoof into wearable apparel. In general, the wool of a hill breed is not worth as much as that of lowland sheep, though the Exmoor Horn is an exception, being of good white colour, with a staple length of 8 to 10 cm, and a micron count of around 37.
The rationale for shearing.
Most sheep are shorn once a year. Some primitive or ancient breeds such as the Soay, which might yield a total of 6oz of fleece, can be rooed (plucked) or will rub off their fleeces. More recently other breeds, for example the Exlana, have gained in popularity since they will shed their fleeces naturally, leaving a litter of discarded fleece over the countryside, but saving the shepherd the cost of gathering, shearing and transport. Since the guaranteed price for wool was abolished in 1992 (which used to put a bottom in the market), the price of wool has varied according to worldwide trading conditions. There have been times when the cost of shearing for some grades has equalled or exceeded the value of the fleece.
Shearers are generally trained on courses offered by British Wool to several different levels, and undergo continuous professional development both in techniques and the development of standards. It is in the best interests of both shearer and sheep that shearing is accomplished in an atmosphere of competent calm, because if a sheep is stressed it will kick, which makes the job more difficult not only this time, but in the future too since sheep remember what they don’t like. All of these issues are explained very well during demonstrations by Julian Branfield when Exmoor Horn Wool was at Dunster Yarn Market each year.
Shearing is a welfare issue
The quality of Exmoor Horn wool depends on the health, location and age of a sheep. Any illness can be seen directly in the staple, where it will result in a weakness. Older sheep have a less dense fleece, and those directly off the moor will have more hair follicles. Shearing prevents fly strike, leading to maggots and a serious loss of condition, in other words, it is now considered a welfare issue. Shearing used to be done with hand shears. This was a lengthy and tiring job done when farming neighbours or family groups worked together. This type of shearing, now called blade shearing, is still practised by a minority of specialist shearers. They demonstrate their professional expertise by shearing a sheep in around 4 or 5 minutes.
Changes in shearing practice
When wool was a far more valuable commodity than today, it formed a considerable part of Exmoor’s wealth. Wethers were put out on the moor for up to five years and brought in once a year for shearing. The Industrial Revolution and the growth of towns and cities meant the demand for meat increased. By the late 1890s wool became less important, and some of Exmoor’s manufacturing had already ceased.
Sheep used to be washed prior to shearing so that the fleeces were clean. Indeed remnants of this practice are still evident in the names of farms such as “Sheepwash”, or in field names of “Dipper”. Exmoor’s ample supply of running water was well used. Today, however, “clean” more often refers to lack of stains from sheep marker or bloom dipping, than dirt.
Mechanical shearing improvements
When mechanical shears were invented, they were powered by someone cranking a handle. The photo below shows an early prototype of mechanical shears belonging to David Bawden’s family. They probably date from the 1920s. David says that his grandfather used these, and carried them around with him on horseback when he travelled to other branches of the family, accompanied by his wife who turned the crank handle all day. Now electric shears are the norm. An experienced shearer can shear a sheep in less than two minutes. Large flocks are often shorn by travelling gangs of skilled shearers, many of whom come from the Antipodes. Exmoor Horns are not particularly popular since their fleece covers the entire body, including belly wool and often a browlock. Of course the horns are an impediment to speedy fleece removal.
In 1934 the Devon and Cornwall Wool Growers was founded to promote the best possible price for the farmers’ wool clip. Today this role has been taken over by the British Wool Marketing Board, now called British Wool. The company is fully owned by UK sheep farmers to whom it is accountable. It is run co-operatively as a not-for-profit organisation. All profits being returned to the producers in the form of better payments for their fleeces. By statute, British Wool is duty bound to take all fleece offered to it, whatever its quality or condition.
Shearing process
During shearing, a sheep is turned up to sit on its rump. A stoke with the clippers is called a “blow”. Nowadays most shearing is done by the Bowen method. This was developed by Godfrey Bowen in New Zealand in the 1950’s. The NZ government requested it to streamline shearing, and this technique is now taught the world over as the blueprint for shearing. Godfrey Bowen’s book “Wool Away” explains how it works, gives advice on handling and showing, and chronicles his lifetime achievements. Older methods used different techniques including right-and-left hand shearing.
After shearing, each fleece must be rolled so that it can be graded individually. To do this, it is thrown up in the air so that it lands with the dirty side up and clean-shorn side down. The sides are then folded in to form a neat parcel which is tied together with a rope made of twisted neck wool.