Roo'ing

Shetland sheep are considered a primative breed. This means that they are an old breed that primarily are the same now as they were long ago.  They are also considered a heritage breed. This is interesting because Shetlands will actually lose their fleece.  By that, I mean that they develop a natural weak spot that allows their fleece to be pulled or rubbed out; eliminating the need for shearing. This is referred to by Roo'ing.

How easily they lose their fleece depends on the individual & some bloodlines will roo easier than others.  Many shepherds shear simply for convenience of having them all done & quickly. However, based on my research roo'ing can be beneficial to your wool harvest.  A roo'ed fleece is fluffier and lacks any of the cut ends that a shorn fleece will have. It also leaves the natural new growth behind.

I didn't give this any thought last spring when i had my flock sheared; I just knew it needed done.  So this year i did some shearing, mainly my expecting ewes to get a better idea of how they looked & to give lambs a better view of the dinner place.  LOL.  However I noticed the yearlings fleece seemed very loose. I was pretty sure it wasn't a stress break . . . Then decided they must be roo'ing. So, I've undertaken the task of roo'ing the yearling ewes. For the reasons I stated above.

So here are a couple shots of Loretta a little bit into the process. I started on her back and you can see the comparative bare spot.  I didn't get to finish by any means when I had to stop,  so she's in the pen with a larger bare spot.  LOL. 

The disadvantage to roo'ing is that it is time consuming! So finding the time to finish may be tricky between work & other things that have to be done with a farm & family.  So wish my luck.