WHERE DID EWE GET THAT SHEAR?

It's the time of year again, as ewe might know...time to trim back those eyebrows a bit. The saying, "pulling the wool over your eyes" takes on a reality check.

Across the county, livestock owners of sheep take on the grueling task of shearing the woolies. Such was the plan for the quiet Saturday at the Brian Green feedlot as his sheep received a quick encounter with the blades.

Doing the coiffeur honor for Green was Zeb Olson. There is no doubt, the skills and talents of a sheep shearer are to be commended. Few individuals can withstand the toil and havoc one's body has to endure to complete the task at hand.

One has to be able to lean over a sheep (and Green's sheep were docile compared to some the shearer has to deal with) at the rate of one sheep every three, or five, to eight minutes and still stand upright after years. The shearer is aided by a harness on a weighted pulley that aids in the ability to stand up erect after continually bending.

After a ten-hour day or longer, one really doesn't notice the little aches...those set in later. To say the occupation is a young man's job might be true, however, there are readers that can recall the names of the past, like "Pronto" and "Emery" who were indeed legends in their days. Those characters went on for years and years. More than likely upon entering the panels at heavens gates, neither of those two were too excited to see yet another flock awaiting them. Word has it the good Shepherd took away their shearers at the gate and one can rest assured they don't count sheep to fall asleep.

Often the skill is handed down to the next generation, and sometimes the next generation is excited to carry on the family tradition. Sometimes it is merely handed down like worn gloves.

Early-day rigging was bare minimal; sheep were wrestled out of a pen and shearing began with a pair of hand-held shears with an extension cord. This is a big improvement from the early days when the mission was accomplished with hand-strength operated shears.

Shearing has quite a few steps, the sheep are balanced on their haunches and leaned against the legs of the grooming artist. Belly wool is kept separate from the fleece produced from the full frame of the sheep. This wool has a separate value and is not mixed in with the back wool.

Often, if lambing is about to begin and the schedule is such that shearing is a while off, the sheep will be groomed to allow newborn lambs a cleared dinner plate. The sheep are often "tagged" at various times as well, to clear wool from the backend to allow for easier access in case of a ewe needing assistance during lambing.

Shearing has come a long way since it was invented. Bigger operations will see upgraded facilities and a smooth assembly line to complete the project.

In small herds, it still takes a few hands to facilitate the operation. After the sheep are gathered and sorted, they are corralled and pushed through narrow walkways. This is where the young really come in handy. Until they get to a certain age, they think this is pretty cool and even invite their friends along for the day. Down the chute, the sheep are grabbed for their turn and pulled out a gate to a wooden surface that is kept clean between each ewe and the next.

After the wool is removed, it is taken to a machine that tamps the wool, packing it in special bags, aptly named wool sacks. In earlier days the wool bag was tied to a metal ring, suspended in the air and kids each took their turn as the "tamper" in the big old bags. It was fine, one grew used to having bundles of wool fall on top of you, not being able to see anyone for hours, and of course the aroma of wool while wanting fresh air on a warm day.

The skilled hands over the weekend did a nice job of removing the fleece without much problem. Some shearers do not have the patience to work with sheep (or perhaps it is the lack of trained and skilled hands); often the sheep are nicked or cut by the blades and need a stitch or two. You need not be reminded – sheep do not need a reason to die – and some just give up.

There are a few youngsters who are not keen on finding sheep ticks on their bodies, which is one drawback of shearing day.

Historically, most cattle ranches usually got their starting coffers and financing from having a herd of sheep. At one point in time, there were around or about 100,000 heads of sheep in the county. Most of those and others were shorn at the Baeth Sheep Plant, south of Malta. When it was up and running in its' day, a crew of 55 shearers was kept busy and aided by the steam engines that provided power to the blades. Needless to say, that crew kept cooks busy.

It might be a safe statement to say that a fair percentage of kids started their ventures in 4-H with a sheep project as well.

Each year Brian and Anita host a field trip to the farm, where second graders are delighted with the array of livestock, including baby lambs, piglets, calves, chickens, and often a goat.

Tending and caring for sheep is a generational thing, as there are five generations taking on the task and livelihood in Phillips County, which is noteworthy. One might say it's not a "baa-d" legacy to pass on to the next generation.