Shearing in factory. Confrontation

porter shark

I brought 30 lambs and 4 cull ewes to the factory this evening. Was told try to have them clean and be there between 6 and 9 so the could be inspected for clipping or not clipping. There were dirty lambs in the bunch but I decided to go ahead and pay whatever the charge was for clipping. I arrived, knocked the sheep and the yard man said a few of them might need clipping and enquired if I was waiting to see the man inspect them. I told him I’d wash the trailer while waiting for the man. I just finished washing as the “inspector” crossed the yard on the phone. I followed. He passed my sheep and glanced in, still on the phone. I waited at my pen for a few mins, then walked past him to the shearing pen, looking at what was shorn and what was to be shorn. After a couple of mins he shouts across “you look like a man that knows the answer to the question you’re about to ask”. Surprised I said what?

Do my sheep need shearing? And yes they do.

All of them??

Yes all of them. Look at that lamb.. you didn’t even try!!

How many have I?

34

So you’re going to clip the ewes as well?

Ok we leave the ewes. 30

No my friend, (smug pat on the back as I passed him) you didn’t even try. You didn’t even stand into the pen. Jump in here and we’ll pick wat needs clipping some of these are clean.

Look at the dirt of that lamb. They all need shearing and if that’s the way you want to carry on I’ll leave your lambs there til Thursday.

And he walked off and I left. Got right vexed on my way home and was sorry I didn’t back in and bring the lot home. Any thoughts? Am I just being a whinging bitch because I’m tired from sheep dropping or should I have caught him and dragged him into the pen???!!

Green farmer

I had to get all mine clipped last outing to factory. Another lad said under his breath to me, amazing they’ll stop the small lads with a small bunch of lambs but you’d wonder if they’d stop the big artic load that would slow down the production line. Secondly I just accepted in as another cost of doing business, that’s made more palatable when we’re getting above €6 a kilo. I just happily took my cheque and moved on. Might be more of a sore point next autumn if we’re offered a crappy €4.50 a kilo.