Shearing ewes before lambing

Abstract

In New Zealand the shearing of ewes has always been and is still largely confined to the months of October to December. Since lambing normally takes place in August-September and weaning in January-February, this means that shearing intervenes between lambing and weaning. Naturally, within the many types of sheep farming in New Zealand there are variants of this system but as a general rule ewes are shorn in the early summer before the lambs are weaned. Many factors have led to the adoption of this standard practice, the advantages of which may be summarised briefly.