On our small fiber goat farm, autumn is one of the busiest times of the year. It begins with preparation for the Oregon Flock & Fiber Festival in September, and continues with fall shearing and breeding during the months of October and November. In fact, that is when the real madness begins...
As a fiber goat breeder, the task of shearing the herd can be challenging, to say the least. In past years, it has always been a race with time for me to harvest each fleece at its prime before it mats or felts on the goat. (Sadly, I am very experienced with this dilemma!) This year is no exception. However, for the first time since I started raising these wonderful goats four years ago, my herd size has nearly doubled to 36, so that’s a lot of potentially ruined fiber! Now… there are several things for a fiber goat herd keeper to consider when it comes to shearing, and for me, living in northeast Washington state, the weather is at the top of my list of concerns. It plays a huge role in the timing of my harvest. The changing weather conditions always seem to interfere with my best laid out plans. It seems that every year, just when I’m ready to brandish my shears, the evening temperatures drop below freezing and all of my prime harvestable fiber is ready to be shorn all at once…NOW! (I really think Mother Nature gauges the drop in temperature by my shearing schedule.) However this year, with so many new animals, I’m trying harder than ever to beat her at her own game, and so far (to my amazement) I seem to be winning with the help of my very cooperative herd. To my great delight, they’ve kindly decided to come into “prime fleece” one goat at a time. Hallelujah! What could have been a potential shearing nightmare, is turning out to be one of the most pleasant fall harvesting experiences I’ve had…simply by having the luxury of shearing one or two goats each day. I’m not sure what’s causing this miraculous phenomenon to occur, but I’m thankful for it! This year especially, I’m truly enjoying the quality time I spend shearing each of the animals I love so much! I know…I must be crazy!
As a fiber goat breeder, the task of shearing the herd can be challenging, to say the least. In past years, it has always been a race with time for me to harvest each fleece at its prime before it mats or felts on the goat. (Sadly, I am very experienced with this dilemma!) This year is no exception. However, for the first time since I started raising these wonderful goats four years ago, my herd size has nearly doubled to 36, so that’s a lot of potentially ruined fiber! Now… there are several things for a fiber goat herd keeper to consider when it comes to shearing, and for me, living in northeast Washington state, the weather is at the top of my list of concerns. It plays a huge role in the timing of my harvest. The changing weather conditions always seem to interfere with my best laid out plans. It seems that every year, just when I’m ready to brandish my shears, the evening temperatures drop below freezing and all of my prime harvestable fiber is ready to be shorn all at once…NOW! (I really think Mother Nature gauges the drop in temperature by my shearing schedule.) However this year, with so many new animals, I’m trying harder than ever to beat her at her own game, and so far (to my amazement) I seem to be winning with the help of my very cooperative herd. To my great delight, they’ve kindly decided to come into “prime fleece” one goat at a time. Hallelujah! What could have been a potential shearing nightmare, is turning out to be one of the most pleasant fall harvesting experiences I’ve had…simply by having the luxury of shearing one or two goats each day. I’m not sure what’s causing this miraculous phenomenon to occur, but I’m thankful for it! This year especially, I’m truly enjoying the quality time I spend shearing each of the animals I love so much! I know…I must be crazy!
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