Sheep shear Day

Home School Day

Well yesterday we had 3 of our sheep sheared.  The decision was made when we did this to open it up for a field trip for home schooler's to attend.  

We planned to start at 10 am and my daughter did come to help me (thankfully).  

So people started showing up a bit before 10 am, and as they arrived we spent time over by the tipi and play area waiting for everyone to arrive.  

Once everyone was here I talked with the children about the rules of the farm (such as to going into any fenced in area with out me or my daughter and their parent both. ) then we headed out to the barn where our sheep shearer was already here and setting up. 

Here is our sheep guy!

"Mr" Zachariah Danberry who attends church with us. 

Here is the first sheep getting done.  Notice how Zach begins with getting the sheep to almost sit, it is then sheep then that the sheep relaxes and that allows Zach to begin and easily move the sheep around as he works.

 

See, that the sheep is already half done! Here Zach is holding the sheep at the ear/head ...and shearing down the neck and back...

 

Above... the sheep is almost done!

 

Sheep  #2 is moved to the area to be sheared!

 

Notice the bag of wool is filling up (over by the bales of hay)

 

And the 3 sheep are now done!

  

Once the adult sheep were done, I picked up one of the baby lambs and allowed the children to hold / pet the lamb.  They also were able to pet one of the adult sheep right after it was shorn to feel how much you can feel the lanolin in the wool...

After holding and petting a baby lamb (and a baby goat) we then moved to the chickens.  

 

The children fed the chickens some sunflower seeds which is a treat to them, since they mostly scratch around in the barn yard.  

We had the chickens shut up in a small area in front of their shed they sleep in at night and is also where they lay the eggs.  This is so they could be fed easily by the children.  The children then were allowed to gather the eggs.

 

Paper work was handed out (that supplemented what the children saw today)

 

Here we are talking about eggs

We also went into the pasture with the sheep and goats, had to be patient until they came to us, but finally they did.  The cow (actually a bull) came up too, and it took some work between Anastasia and myself to keep the bull back (he has never been mean yet-- but he is a bull !!).  It was some work to keep the children all in the area they were allowed to be in and not to wonder off. They were excited about the goats and sheep and wanted to chase them, and try to be able to pet them.  When your not around farm animals  it is hard to understand that sheep and goats are shy around you if they do not know you!  Once we were able to stand as still 'as we could' then they came up  to them.  I also sent some of the children out for some of the grass that we had cut the day before (to have for today) to bring in to the pen and feed the animals... this allowed the animals to become curious and come up to the children!  Many of the children wanted to find the peacock, who was hiding because there were too many people there for him to feel safe.  He hides when that happens....

He usually will come out fine if we just go to the tipi area and play area, then he will some out.....

Once the tour was done, many had to leave and could not stay for lunch,  3 families stayed for lunch.  They had packed a sack lunch.  The kids played and the moms visited.  Anastasia and I visited with the moms, but also had to chase 'bob' the goat who likes to get out. 

 

Here are the two male goats playing like they are fighting....

 

Cute !

 

This next fall, I hope to plan a day for home schoolers again, spend some time doing a fall craft, and cooking a stew over the open fire in the tipi. 

Today we had one family from our church attend, and 4 other families from the Michigan area attend.  thank you to all who enjoyed the day and our efforts to bless the homeschooling families!