Shearing Demonstration @ harmonyfiberfestival.com!

Fiber animals share their fur and fleeces with us.  Alpacas, some goats and some sheep are sheared to remove their coats in a process that is quire similar the human hair cut except that they have hair or fur all over.  Some sheep and most rabbits are plucked or rooed.  Loose fiber is pulled or brushed out of the animal's coat. Neither of these processes  hurt the animal  

Commercial shearers often prefer to shear larger flocks up to several hundred at a time.  Small holders typically have difficulty obtaining the services of large commercial operations. 

Melissa from Boss Mare Shearing specializes in shearing small herds or flocks. She will be demonstrating this process on site. 

Fleeces are skirted. removing second cuts, dirty edges and VM (or vegetable matter).  Once this is done, the fleece can be bagged for later treatment (washing, carding or combing) before it is ready to used.

Did you know that raw fleece (the fleece right off the sheep) is a great mulch?  A barrier of fleece on the ground around your plantings or garden holds in moisture, prevents weeds and best of all slowly releases natural fertilizer as iwater runs through it.

Melissa from Boss Mare Shearing located in Washington, PA will be wielding the shears.