FARMERS are being encouraged to consider shearing lambs during the summer months, with experts saying the practice can improve growth rates, reduce labour and make flocks easier to manage.
According to experienced shearer Hefin Rowlands of Heiniger, removing lambs fleeces during their first summer can increase growth rates by up to 20 grams per head each day, while also delivering a range of welfare and management benefits.
The ideal shearing window varies depending on whether flocks are on lowland or upland farms, but generally falls between the end of June and the beginning of October.
Mr Rowlands stressed that shearing lambs should be carried out with the same care and attention to animal welfare as shearing adult sheep, whether the work is undertaken by a professional shearer or on the farm itself.
He said: Shearing every lamb in its first summer can increase growth rates by up to 20g a head. Shearing lambs requires the same professionalism and attention to animal welfare as shearing ewes, so, whether hiring a professional or shearing on farm, it is important to have well-serviced equipment.
Alongside improved growth, shearing can help reduce the risk of flystrike, keep lambs cleaner and prevent them becoming caught in dense undergrowth.
The process itself is no different from shearing adult sheep, and Mr Rowlands said there can be longer-term benefits too. Lambs shorn towards the end of summer or in early autumn will carry less wool the following spring, reducing the risk of them becoming cast, where sheep become trapped on their backs under the weight of heavy fleeces.
He also pointed to practical advantages for farmers.
Shearing lambs also makes them easier to manage and transport because, with a smaller, shorn lamb, you can get more on a trailer, he said.
Where lambs are shorn later in the season, as temperatures begin to fall and wet weather becomes more common, Mr Rowlands recommends housing them for a short period to help them acclimatise. However, he said this is generally unnecessary for lambs shorn before the end of August.
For late-season shearing, he also advises leaving the belly wool intact, as it provides additional insulation when lambs are lying down, particularly in damp conditions.
With wool prices improving, there may also be an added financial incentive.
Mr Rowlands said quality lambswool can command a premium if it is shorn cleanly using well-maintained equipment with sharp combs and cutters.
He added that investing in professional shearing or developing the necessary skills to shear accurately can help maximise both flock welfare and the value of the wool clip.
