# slick shearing the dorper for a market class



## spinandslide (Jun 6, 2008)

Our county livestock show is fast approaching..early january!

Fudge is doing better each time with leading and she is growing like a weed!

I have clarified, that even the hair sheep must be slick sheared for the show. 
Fair enough..I have a large pair of Andis clippers..my question is..BLADES..

I was told a 20 tooth goat comb and 4 point cutters would work..but then another person told me a 23 tooth comb and 9 point cutters would be ideal..

Neither are sheepy people..goat people. For those that have had to shear, what do you use?


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## Goatsandsheep (Jun 7, 2006)

We have lister stablemates and used the fine blade on both the goats and sheep to slick shear for fair. Don't know if that helps any. Shelly


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## goodhors (Sep 6, 2011)

How about using horse blades? When we sheared our market lambs, we used the big Osters with the average 83-84 top and bottom blades. They are Hamp crosses, with wool, kind of sheep, but this REALLY does a nice tight job on the sheep! 

We washed the lambs first, scrubbed them clean, blew them off with the horse vac or shop vac using the crevice nozzle, blotted any leftover water up with bath towels. Just use towels to get liquid off the hair/wool, if you don't have a vac. Then she just clipped them clean.

We tried all the sheep and goat combs, paid good money for the shearing head that went on the big Osters and go #%*^ clip jobs. Her 4-H leader would smooth them out at Fair for her. We then looked at what blades THEY used to clip, looked just like the horse clippers!! All their family lambs are GREAT looking, just barely a fuzz on them to show.

Trick is lamb must be damp, not sloppy or drippy wet, for big clippers to work for us. They won't cut at all if lamb is dry haired/wooled. Blades must be sharp, keep removing wool/hair from animal to prevent recutting, you need to keep blades and clippers lubricated and pay attention to the heat of the clipper head so you don't burn the lambs. Cool Lube spray helps with hot blades, which lose sharpness if kept hot. Have a spare set of blades in case yours get dull and leave marks in the cuts. Do the lamb up on a stand if possible, you can see what you are doing, easier on your back than bending over. Lamb can't fight back much!

Good luck with Fudge at the Fair!!


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## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

Here's an article on slick shearing and you are correct on both.

http://animalag.wsu.edu/Youth Producers/SmithFS1008-2003.pdf


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## spinandslide (Jun 6, 2008)

So goodhors, you dont use any of "cutter" blades at all?

my clippers are actually Osters..not andis..opps..its been awhile since I got them out..last time I body clipped a horse was in 1999? LOL

I have regular horse blades for them..they just need to be sharpened...

My son's 4-h leader has goats and has offered to help us clip the day before the show..which is when she does hers..my husband is concerned with "Clipper marks" on Fudge if we do that..he is pushing to clip her about a week out. my concern with this is..will she grow alot of her hair back in that time..considering it will be january too..I guess she'd have to be put up with a heat lamp?? thoughts anyone on this?

THANK YOU goodhors for the info on the best way to get one clipped..regarding keeping them a pinch damp.


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## Goatsandsheep (Jun 7, 2006)

In goats clipper marks are gone within 2 days. You will need to really clip short if you do it a week out.


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## grandma12703 (Jan 13, 2011)

First I will admit that I don't know a lot about hair sheep, however I do the sheep show arena. We have always shown sheep and done pretty well. My brother is also a national level judge so here goes IMO. Please do not sheer a week out. They are much fresher looking and feeling to the judge if you do not sheer until the night before or even the morning of the show. Some of the bigger shows do make you sheer before bringing them but because EVERYONE has to do that they will all be at the same length. We also used stablemates with the fine comb. If your blades are sharp you should not have a lot of problem with blade marks. The only time that seemed a problem was when the blades were not sharp.


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## grandma12703 (Jan 13, 2011)

Also, I have never been to a market sheep show where dorpers or katahdins were shown. It interests me! If you take pictures at the show would you post some so I can see the lineup. GOOD LUCK!!


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## spinandslide (Jun 6, 2008)

thanks!

Alrighty, looks like Im sending both sets of my horse blades out to be sharpened..and we'll use those to shear the lamb the night before, when the 4-h leader is doing her goats. 

grandma, the hair's arent super popular around here to show..sheep in general are not..but they made a "hair" class a year or two ago..and I am told they usually have enough hairs show up to make the class. I am hoping so....the lamb is a good girl and is actually leading pretty well. shes a later girl, a may lamb..so I am hoping she makes weight...anyone know if they make sheep weight tapes like they do for horses?


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## goodhors (Sep 6, 2011)

I am going to say sheep shouldn't have tracks if blades are sharp, have no nicks or broken teeth. Keep checking the bottom blade for heat on your hand. If it is too hot for your hand, the clipper blade needs to rest and cool off. You can try spraying on the Kool-Lube, which my husband does while clipping. Does cool the blades somewhat. Hot blades kept running, seem to lose sharpness faster, so the tracks appear.

You CAN try clipping the sheep right now, see how it goes. You can make or buy her a blanket to keep warm and clean. She will have time to grow again. You can practices "technique" to get skin pulled tight to clip close. And if show is a month off, for sure lamb will need clipping again for Fair. You can see how the blades cut for you, smooth or leaving marks, before show time is HERE! If blades are really old, been used quite a bit, you may just need a new set of blades for the best clip job. Our sharpener guy will mark worn blades with "last resharpen" on that package.

Grandma is correct, clipping within a day of showing will have sheep looking their best, fresh is a good way to put it. We clipped the lambs the day before or morning of, shows we took our lambs to. Depended on what we knew of the location, wash racks, electric outlets to let us clip there, or if home was easier.

It is funny about the comb cutters. All our sheep friends who showed market lambs used those many-toothed combs. We are talking State Fair winners. Yet when we went to the lamb shows, ALL the market lambs were sheared with regular clipper blades, whether using Listers or any of the other big animal clippers. Looked like the same blades we would body clip horses or dairy calves with! I have several sets of sheep and goat comb blades, high number teeth, that we tried to use. Cut wool poorly, along with snagging skin on those long sharp teeth for ripped sheep, happened in the blink of an eye. So we just put them away after we started using the horse blades on the damp lambs.


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## RoyalValley (Apr 29, 2009)

I am sooooooooooooo excited to see how your Dorper does. We are hoping for a few Dorper babies in Feb/March to be able to show at our county fair in August. 

We stick sheared for regular sheep and everyone used something like the Lister Star Clippers or the Lister Legend ones. They get real slick and close and I never cut the sheep even though it was my first time doing it.

They only used the actual shearers at home when they sheared for the first time.


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## spinandslide (Jun 6, 2008)

thank you all again..I feel alittle better.

I think I am going to try a dry run of clipping the lamb once my blades come back..just to kinda see how they work, before Im at the show and crunched for time. We will aim to clip the night before..with the other kid's goats..seems most are showing pigs this year..my son's the only one with a lamb..and his friend has afew goats..thats it.

I guess I also need to get a lamb blanket for after we clip her, so she doesnt catch cold? the ag barn gets pretty toasty..but I imagine she will get chilled relatively easy?


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## PNP Katahdins (Oct 28, 2008)

The blanket will help keep her clean, too.

Peg


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## grandma12703 (Jan 13, 2011)

PNP is right. You can also use lamb tights. I made ours(only took 30 minutes to put one together and I always bought $1.00 bolts of lycra type material from wal-mart), but you can buy them as well. They help keep the hide tight after sheering. We use to put the tights on and the blankets over it when it was really cold. (The tight hidedness is desireable in market lambs)
I am excited for you all to let us know how it goes. I really miss working with my kids as they exhibited their lambs, pigs, and steers. It is a great way for them to learn responsibility. 
We still raise a few sheep, including trying some katahdins, but it is not the same as when the kids were involved, however we have grandkids  that will be that age soon and maybe we will have some good stock for them to work with.


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## spinandslide (Jun 6, 2008)

Good..I will get a sheep blanket and "tube" for her...

At the very least, I think it is a learning experience for my kiddo. I am not super big into "big time" showing..Im more into the raising for sale of the lambs..but our county is pretty low key..from what I've seen and his 4-h leader and the agents are super nice and informative.

we'll see how it goes. 

May I ask one more thing? What does the handler generally wear for market lamb classes? Ive seen starched shirts to polos..


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## grandma12703 (Jan 13, 2011)

Our kids always wore wranglers and a nice pressed white shirt under their 4-H or FFA jackets. It was required to wear the jackets where we came from. At jackpots they just wore western shirts with jeans and boots.


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## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

grandma12703 said:


> Our kids always *wore wranglers and a nice pressed white shirt under their 4-H or FFA jackets. It was required to wear the jackets where we came from. At jackpots they just wore western shirts with jeans and boots.*


*

This ^^^ is what my son wore showing suffolk in MN.
And it's what all the kids wear here in Texas too.
He won Grand champion.

I cant wait to hear your experience!! And I cant wait till my grandsons are in FFA or 4H, but I have a long time to wait...LOL*


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## spinandslide (Jun 6, 2008)

OK..afew more questions, if y'all do not mind.  I missed the sheep classes last year, as they are a friday morning..and I was working.

Firstly-What type of grooming products do I need to have handy, for after the lamb is shaved and before going into the showpen? Like pigs use oil, cows use the Revive,ect,ect..

I watched some youtube last night..although my internet connection was slow..to see how the classes are "run"..looks like a walk, line up for inspection..walk again, line up again and placings?

Showmanship-I know this is judged on handling of the the animal..and turnout..what else should my kiddo know? I know one dairy show I was at, the judge asked the kids questions pertaining to their breed..

Also, teaching the lamb to brace..any good exercises for this..I saw in some videos kids manuely setting their sheep's legs..is this OK?

Thanks again everyone.


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## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

Stay out of the judges view of the sheep, Dont over brace them and make sure you set the back feet and make sure the "showman" you or your child stands appropriately when bracing the sheep. That I know...LOL , but it's been 20 years since I've had kids show.


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## grandma12703 (Jan 13, 2011)

It may be a little late to start to teach them to brace but you can try putting their rear ends real close to a fence that way when you or your child push into them and they touch the fence they push back and that will hopefully cause a brace. We usually had the kids start this when the lambs were pretty young. 
We always kept a towel handy to brush off any chips, dirt, or straw when we got ready to take them out. A wool card is always good to brush down their legs. 
Fowler is right, stay on the opposite side of the lamb of which the judge is on. 
You can and should set the legs, but do it before the judge gets to your lamb. You don't want to be in his way. SHOWMANSHIP: Make sure your child knows the age, breed, weight, what they eat, etc. Depends on the age of your child but the questions get harder as they get older.


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## spinandslide (Jun 6, 2008)

Grandma, thanks for the info..
We will work on bracing abit..but if it's not perfect, I am OK with that..I guess set up is a bigger deal for me..and making sure fudge will behave sans halter..she is actually doing well and walks with Casey on a very loose lead. He walks her ALL over the ranch and she has been a good girl.

Ill get a wool card..and have towels..but nothing else for showring prep?

He is 11 years old..(my son)..we'll go over the basic stuff as far as questions..


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## grandma12703 (Jan 13, 2011)

In the winter time I don't think you need much more. Is he using the halter in the show ring? Maybe its different there but here you take the halter off when you enter and lead holding the head and then put it back on when you exit. Sounds like the lamb and Casey will do very well. They always do better when they have been messed with a lot.


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## spinandslide (Jun 6, 2008)

no, he'll hold her head..we broke her to lead with the halter..but I need to have him start working on leading her by holding her head..


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## grandma12703 (Jan 13, 2011)

Good luck!


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## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

Yes good luck!!! and post pics and dont forget to take pics!! lol I say that because sometimes I was so into what the kids were doing that I forgot pics....LMAO!!!


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## spinandslide (Jun 6, 2008)

thanks everyone..I do have to let y'all know..I found the Fine Wool Market Lamb class from the county show in 2010 on youttube..a very short, meaty DORPER was reserve! (this was before they made a hair division)..how cool is that!?

Casey and I watched the video and went over what we saw..we'll be getting the girls out this weekend to practice with them...

I will take pictures and hope Ill have a good report for everyone!


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