Sheep Industry News December 2022

T he Cornell Sheep Shearing School offered something for shearers of all skill levels as a dozen students and instruc tors gathered at the university’s Livestock Pavilion in mid November to learn more about the age-old art of sheep shearing. Students ranged from those who had never picked up a hand piece to others with several years of experience, as the school was originally designed to work with intermediate and advanced students. But given the lack of shearers across the country, it’s no surprise Cornell decided to open enrollment to beginners, as well. Veteran shearer and shearing instructor Doug Rathke of Minnesota is well suited to instructing shearers of all levels. “I’ve done this school for more than 20 years and we’ve usu ally had beginners,” said Rathke while sporting borrowed clothes

of Animal Science, Fritz likes to think of the university’s flock of 55 breeding ewes as his own. “Hoyt asked if I might be interested in following him around and apprentice with him,” Fritz said. “So, I did that for a year or two and since then we’ve been shearing in partnership. We share a lot of our clients and shear together most of the time, but we each also have some of our own clients.” While he enjoys shearing and sees himself doing it as a side job for years to come, there are benefits beyond the extra income. He’s gained experience with a variety of previously unfamiliar sheep breeds that translates into knowledge he can share with small rumi nant classes at the university. And the skills he refined at the Cor nell Sheep Shearing School will help as he teaches his own students the basics of shearing. “Some of the nuances of the posi

from fellow shearer/instructor Hoyt Emmons after his checked bag decided to go to Washington, D.C., instead of Western New York. The bag with his clothes and shearing equipment finally arrived on the school’s second day. “I do find it more challenging to take these guys who have been shearing for a few years and pick them apart a bit to help them get better. For the beginners, it’s always about getting the belly and the neck down. Everyone is worried about the belly because of the nipples. How many times did you hear me say ‘bottom tooth’ this weekend? If you don’t get that bottom tooth down, it’s not going to go through the wool.”

"I was self-taught from videos on YouTube, so a lot of bad habits to break. That's not a great way to learn sheep shearing. I knew I needed some help." – Mark O'Meara Vermont Sheep Producer

tions was the main thing I picked up this weekend,” he said. “It’s important to keep the sheep from getting away from you in those tight spots. There’s a lot of finer points of shearing that you can’t pick up without learning from someone like Doug and his trained, experienced eyes. It’s scary to try some of these things, but you use that pattern and the next sheep you shear goes so much quicker and easier. It’s about developing good habits.” While shearing sheep quickly is often an indicator of a shearer’s skill, student Jim Powers said it’s rarely about speed

when he shears at small farms throughout the Northeast. “I’ve been shearing for five years, but I’m here as a student to get some tips from Dough and Aaron (Loux),” he said. “At these hobby farms, the sheep are more like pets than livestock for a lot of the producers. It’s not about speed, it’s about doing a clean, safe job. We also trim hooves a lot out here in addition to shearing. So it’s about animal welfare and care for these people.” Powers has been a regular at the school in recent years despite shearing thousands of sheep since first attending the school. “I want Aaron and Doug to beat me up a bit and tell me what I’m doing wrong,” Powers said. “I think I’m doing some things right, but there’s always ways to improve. I’m really focused on calming down, full blows and making every blow count. But if I do that, I will get faster. Coming here for me is about developing consistency.” Powers had issues with his grinding technique in the past year or two that created problems with his equipment, and it took veteran guidance from experienced shearers in the area to help him get things headed back in the right direction. “There’s so many variables in this job. Every day is different. Every sheep is different. That’s why I keep coming back here and continue to learn from these guys. It’s the most physical job you’ll ever do, but I love it. I guess I’m just a glutton for punishment.”

The traditional Dorset and Finn-Dorset composites in the uni versity flock certainly proved challenging at times. Some of them made shearing student Julia Donoso look small by comparison. But the New York-based Icelandic sheep producer didn’t shy away from the challenge. While she was on the less-experienced end of the school's students, she has aspirations of shearing professionally in the years to come – even after attending the school. “I need a lot more practice,” she admitted. “I want to start with shearing my own flock, but I’d like to shear for other people, too. “I definitely have a better idea of what I’m doing now.” Donoso’s shearing dream began at an early age after being intro duced to sheep while having dinner at a friend’s house. “There was a little ewe lamb that followed me around the whole time and I wanted to take her home. My parents got two sheep as pets after that, and I remember someone coming to shear them. I was pretty young and thought it was so cute. I wanted to be able to give my sheep haircuts.” At the opposite end of the student spectrum was Bill Fritz, Ph.D. He towered over even the biggest sheep in the flock and has been shearing for approximately five years after attending a school taught by Emmons. As chair of Delaware Valley University’s Department

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