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Summer, like Spring, came early this year

sheep pasture

April brought 90+ degree weather here which usually doesn’t arrive until June.  That heat and the lack of spring showers dried out the pastures early this year.  The sheep were very dissapointed as was I to see the green grass go.  Even worse this dry hot weather has increased the fire season in California which is always nerve-wracking.

sheep pasture
You can see the vast difference between one pasture to the next.

Usually after the pastures are grazed we get more rain to help the grass grow a second, third, and fourth round so the sheep can continue to dine again and again.  This year the hay will have to be fed out early.

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Shorter Locks This Year

black wool locks

I usually have all the sheep sheared in June and have done so since I got them 6+ years ago.  This year, under the advisement of my wonderful shearer John Sanchez, I had them sheared in April.  This has given me a 10 month growth coat instead of the regular 12 month growth.  I have lost a considerable amount of length in my locks because of this.  In some cases up to 3″ less.

black wool locks
Still soft and bouncy and full of luster!

I am concerned that hand spinners won’t be as drawn to these locks now because they are shorter staple.  Even though I have to say they are the cleanest fleeces I have ever gotten from my flock.  I will be selling the washed and picked locks as I have before online at my Etsy store.  I am interested to see how these shorter locks do compared to the long ones of last year.

If they are as well received I might like to move even to two shearings a year to get cleaner wool and more of it from my fiber sheep. But I also definitely want to keep my hand-spinning and fiber enthusiast customers happy.  I will post the responses I get.  Fingers crossed.