The Livestock Conservancy is a nonprofit membership organization working to protect nearly 200 breeds of livestock and poultry from extinction. Included are asses, cattle, goats, horses, sheep, pigs, rabbits, chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys.
Founded in 1977, The Livestock Conservancy is the leading organization in the U.S. working to conserve historic breeds and genetic diversity in livestock. We hope you'll browse through these videos and learn more about the diverse and valuable agricultural heritage that is ours to enjoy and to steward.
For more information on shearing in the US: Team USA - www.americansheepshearerscouncil.org/ ASI Certified Wool Programs - www.sheepusa.org/researcheducation-woolpelteducation Grants - www.sheepusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/2024-Developing-Shearer-Mentor-Grant.pdf American Sheep Industry (ASI) provides certified sheep shearing clinics around the U.S. You can go to their website to find one near you. www.sheepusa.org/events
These tourist poseurs are so obnoxious. None of them grew up in the industry, they all got English degrees and started scam "non-profits" for grant money.
To get more shearers .. one has to start shearing.. I plan to start this year.. and I won’t be even very good.. for years.. but I will start and my sheep will have received their shearing for that year.
Our house isn't zoned for large ruminants, but they're fun to watch. Almost as much fun as the equine pedicure videos. I'd rather have more of these than those "First Amendment auditors" getting stupid with the cops.
I had no idea watching a film on shearing sheep would make me so emotional! As a knitter it's good to be reminded where the wool comes from, and I'm in awe of these incredible women and the care they all have for the animals and their craft. And so beautifully filmed, too. I'm going to share this far and wide in the hopes that I can educate people as to why we should be using more wool in our lives - clothing, bedding, carpets, insulation... let's get those fleece prices up up up!!
Beautiful piece for watching and educating. So many don't understand that shearing needs to be performed for the health of the animal, not to harm them. Thank you!
Three quarters of my current fleece is waste due to poor shearing and handling. A good clun forest black fleece should be worth a couple hundred or more but this poor thing was overpriced at $65. Even in insulation, shorts and second cuts are a liability. That wool is valuable. If you have a large quantity and want to insulate with it, soak it in washing soda/borax to impregnate it with the chemical and kill any baby moths thst hatch and munch in the wall.
Thank you for a wonderful demonstration of your trade!!! I wish people from PETA would actually watch this who thing to see for themself what is done to take the wool off of the sheep,. I would rather wear a jacket of wool than a jacket made from plastic bottles (yeah for recycling)!!!! Yes, polar fleece is not fleece at all it is plastic bottles made into a fiber.
As a knitter, spinner, and wool lover, I do love this video. This video highlights the fact that humans have influenced the genetics of sheep and made shearing necessary for many breeds. (This isn't production shearing which emphasizes more speed and I'm sure less care for the animals). As an occupational therapist, the shearers' posture and potential for cumulative spinal injury makes me cringe. Medical literature has documented that use of a sling (for the shearer) reduces the possibility of long term spine injury.
Hello. Thank you for watching! I am one of the shearers in the film and wanted to address two points you made. First, production shearing can emphasize speed, but being able to shear quickly and well is also a sign of greater skill, not less. Animals are kept in an awkward position for less time, and that is part of the motivation. I have sheared on production crews and the sheep were sheared cleanly and well, with care for the animals. If nothing else and at the very least, all sheep are someone else's product. A shepherd or rancher spends tens of thousands of dollars a year on supplemental feed, vet bills, etc. If we arrive and ruin the harvest or don't show respect for their sheep, we will be asked to stop and leave. Second, part of what is visible in my posture is the result of fused vertebrae, with which I was born. Given all that, I'm glad I can shear at all. Otherwise, bending at the hips has served me well for 10 years of shearing and, with the help of the back warmer I wear in this film, I have avoided back injury (and would say my mobility has actually IMPROVED with shearing, and I'm now 45). A sling is definitely a big help when shearing larger numbers of animals, yet creates some risks if not set up properly. Animals can get horns caught in the sling and things like that. There is always a lot to think about!
What a great video. Thank you for producing this as we will share this with many farm visitors who want to learn more about what we do at our farm! A big shout out to Battenkill Fibers Carding and Spinning Mill: We love the "magic" you produce for us with the wool we send you from our farm that you work with! - Wellspring Farm, Burnsville, NC
Thank you! A great and important overview about the necessity of shearing! The general public needs to see this. Thanks Isabella and great to see Temple! A hero!
Thank you for making this video! I have been raising sheep, creating and selling products from their wool for years and have dealt with many misconceptions from my customers. I will be sharing this video far and wide!
So well done. Wonderful to see the great Temple Grandin. More folks need to understand that domestic sheep do not shed and need to be sheared for their well being. ♡
Awesome to see this! I hope you can put more videos such as this one out for us to view. I feel that there is little high quality content on heritage breeds and their products, so it's great to see this!
Old Aylesburys had pink bills and legs.....yours are a beautiful shape....what we, in Aylesbury, called viking ship shaped, with the deep 'keel'. Great video 🌹
Him and that stick bother me. Also, with such a small population, wouldn't there be a large instance of inbreeding within this breed of cattle? I have been researching cattle breeds for my own farming operations, and it seems to me that an infusion of new genetics would benefit this critical breed. Another similar patterned rare heritage breed from other parts of the world, like the Irish Moiled, the French Vosgienne / (Vosages), or the alpine Pustertaler Sprinzen. These would add much needed hybrid vigor, new genetics, while preserving 3 heritage breeds and keeping the same coat pattern going. It would also return the Randall Lineback back to its dual purpose nature. Just my thoughts....
