Goat Shearing

Big Jim Baldwin came to shear my goats today. As luck would have it, several escaped through a peep hole in the hay mow and a short morning rain wet several animals enough to make them unshearable. We worked from 9 to 2PM, which seems to be the limit for everyone involved, except me. It's so hard to get everyone together, take days off school and work, hire help, get Jim over here from Cortland, etc., that I like to go until we drop. Jim has a long ride home and my helpers, Andrew and Keith had to get going. We needed all the pairs of hands. Andrew and Keith catch the goats who I had penned in the mow, Jim shears, Keith holds one on deck, Matt takes the animal and starts hoof trimming while Andrew picks up and bags the mohair (no skirter this time!!) then I give the wormer and shots while the guys are catching the next goat and so it goes. The goaties gave tons of mohair, and now are sporting their summer crew cuts. They were a little shakey when let loose in the field for the first time, naked and itching all those spots they couldn't get to with their wooly coats. Baby Thunder was the only sheep shorn today. He looks fantastic and I have a nice Coopworth fleece to play with.