Sheep Shearing at The Amish Farm and House
May 10 and 11, 2024 from 10am-3pm:
Our sheep shearing event returns in 2024! Watch sheep shearing demonstrations performed by a professional shearer on our 15-acre farm. Sheep will be shorn about every 30 minutes between 10:00-3:00pm on Friday and Saturday. There will be lots of fun, farm activities — see below!
Included in your ticket:
- Live Sheep shearing demonstrations
- Petting Zoo with our rotating variety of friendly farm friends
- A hayride around the 15-acres
- All-day access to the farm, tons of activities like barrel cars for kids, and animals to pet and feed
- Also be sure to enter to win two free tickets to Goat Yoga this summer!
Food available for purchase:
Amish Chicken BBQ Stand with ice cream, chicken BBQ, and soft pretzels.
Purchase Event Tickets by clicking the Book Now button —–>
Shear Madness
Sheep shearing is the process when the woolen fleece of a sheep is cut off. This is done by a professional shearer. Sheep shearing is an annual process to keep the sheep happy and healthy. Shearing does not hurt the sheep; while not actually enjoying the process, the sheep benefit from having the fleece removed once a year. Shearing is typically done before the hot weather of summer sets in and is like removing a winter coat, it helps keep the sheep cool and comfortable. Shearing also offers health benefits and allows the shearer to trim hooves and assess the overall health of the flock.
The History of Sheep Shearing:
Sheep were domesticated over 10,000 years ago, but when man learned who to spin the sheep’s wool, sheep shearing became extremely popular. The production of wool is the oldest trade commodity known to man. In the 16th century wool provided for 50% of the total English economy. The English perfected the sheep shearing process to become the leaders in the wool industry. Our sheep shearing event dates to the 1960’s, we’ve done this every year since!
The process:
The sheep are kept in a pen while they wait their turn. The mechanical handpiece is very similar to the electric razors found in a barbershop. The shearer will keep the fleece together in one piece to ensure the highest value for the wool. The shearer starts with the belly by flipping the sheep onto its back. This keeps the sheep calm and easily managed. A skilled shearer can shear a sheep in around two minutes. While not the most stylish haircut, the wool will steadily grow back for winter.
