We made arrangements with the foreman of one ranch to show us around. There he is now, standing by the gate. We are anxious to see how the wool is removed from the sheep.

The Shearing Shed

A mixture of smells and noises greet us as we hurry up the wooden steps to the shed. Inside, we have to observe for a moment to sort out all the activity. A man stands by a high table, piled with wool. He takes a piece, does something to it with his fingers, then lays it aside. A huge machine presses rolled-up fleeces into big square bundles. Beyond, at the far end of the shed, are the shearers. Young boys run from the shearers to the table with the fleeces.

As we near the group of shearers, the noise of the clippers intensifies. A fleece boy is trying to get the feel of a clipper left momentarily idle, but the powerful machine is too much for him, and it jerks in his hand like something alive. Through a row of small doors sheep are pushed from the pen outside, one at a time, to each of the shearers.

With amazing rapidity the men flip the sheep over on their back, run the clippers down the belly, up the inside of the legs, around the outside, and the leg wool dangles free. Now the neck wool, from head to back, is loosened. Then the back​—several quick strokes and zip! off comes the fleece in one piece.

“Just like taking off a poncho,” laughs the foreman, as the sheep, naked and somewhat dazed, runs off to another pen. “Do you know,” he continues, “that a good shearer can do 250 sheep a day?”

“Shearing is done in the summer so that the sheep can grow a new coat before cold weather sets in.