What Do I Do?
This site has Sound Effects, it brings a little of the countryside to your computer.
I mainly shear sheep but I also shear Angora Goats and I keep thinking about trying my hand at Llamas and Alpacas, but it sounds like I could end up covered in spit!
As yet I have still not clipped any Llamas or Alpacas, and as of 2009 season I am now shearing so many sheep (and goats) that I do not have time to consider the others. If I do start shearing those as well I will say so on this site.
I can also trim sheep's and goat's feet.
I can bring a mate or two to help me on the big flocks, and could bring extra workers to help wrap fleeces or pen sheep.
I can set up in a shed or in the field and could bring a trailer which turns into a ground level pen to hold about eight sheep which I (and a mate) can catch the sheep out of.
It helps if you can provide a standard 13 amp three pin socket to plug my machine into, but I can bring a generator if there is no power, for a small extra charge (blame the price of fuel).
Contact Me
Phone me at home after 6pm, or leave a message anytime on (01507) 578044
Phone me on my mobile up to 10pm on 077 9595 69 22
Email me on sheepshearermike@sky.com
Where Do I Go?
What Do I Charge?
Minimum charge of £30 for the first hour or so and an extra amount will be charged for travel costs if travelling over 10 miles or so (at 40p/mile), or £1.30/sheep if you have a lot (over 20).
I did not want to charge for travel as it puts up the price so much, but as some of my clients are getting on for 200 miles away I can end up been out the house all day, with most of it driving, and only earning £30, so, at 40p/mile it gives me 15p/mile towards running costs and about £10/hr when traveling. I think that sounds fair.
If you are badley organised or the sheep are very hard to do (if they are dirty or in poor condition, or just a tricky breed of sheep (like Merino)) or things are generally not going well I might have to charge a minimum of £20/hr, but as I usually do between 10 and 20/hr so that does not happen very often. If I am with you for a day or two I might well give you a discount.
If I bring someone to wrap fleeces and pen sheep they usually charge £10/hr and will need paying separately.
If I bring a generator I may charge a little towards the petrol costs.
What Have I Done?
My current records are 28/hr on one hot afternoon, and a total of 181 in a day.
I shear between 1500 and 2000 sheep in a year (and 3 goats).
I mostly shear little lots of pet sheep often two or three sheep at each stop, and on some days go to six or seven households.
On other jobs I can set up and shear for three days with two other shearers, and the sheep keep on coming, doing five hundred or so.
I like the social chit chat with so many different types of people I meet, prefering to shear steadily and accurately to turn the sheep away looking clean and tidy.
However, it is also nice to have a few days where you can fly and see how many you can do in a day. And of course, still turning them away looking quite tidy.
Recommendations
I shear the sheep and goats at The White Post Farm, between Mansfield and Newark where the A617 crosses the A614. It is a great place to watch and feed the different farm animals, with other creatures not so farm related, such as snakes, spiders and ants.
To see a video clip of me shearing Janice the Angora Goat, click this link: http://whitepostfarmcentre.co.uk/blog/janice-at-the-salon/.
