September 4, 2007: Blackies go to the Beauty Salon
With sheep sales resuming in Scotland, we've had a busy week getting sheep prepared. Grooming sheep for sale is more than just toe clipping and general animal husbandry. No, the Blackies here in Scotland get the 'full meal deal' - pedicures, dipping, eye checks, grooming, trimming and colouring. Yes, colouring! It seems that white coloured fleeces are passé in this part of the world. Sheep are presented for sale in various shades of browns, oranges, yellows, and just about everything inbetween. No pinks, thankfully - well, not that we have seen.

Colouring is quite the art and a great deal of secrecy surrounds the recipes each farm uses. So much secrecy that if we printed the recipes used on this farm, we'd probably be skinned alive. The first part of the colouring process involves cleaning any sheep with 'dirty tails' - a very labourious process, but important nonetheless. The sheep are then put through the dipper to apply the first layer of colour. This involves carefully placing each sheep into the dipper and gently immersing the sheep until only its head, ears and horns are above water. Key to not ending up in the dipper yourself is to try to keep the sheep calm - easier said than done, especially when you get a fiesty wee ewe lamb, or a lumbering older (and much heavier) tup (ram). The sheep generally emerge quite indignant at all this. Angie emerged with the best 'suntan' she's ever had - unfortunately only on her hands and arms, with some extra freckles on her face. The final part of the process occurs closer to the sale date when the sheep will be hand sprayed to add the final touches.

Although this whole process is incredibly time consuming and labour intensive, the sheep 'show' better with a little touch of colour. The colour highlights their musculature more than a white fleece can. It seems a curious thing this colouring but the results can be spectacular...and if you get the colour wrong, the results can be spectacularly awful! We have seen some bright - almost iridescent - orange sheep on our travels around Scotland, but thankfully not on this farm.

One might think all this primping and preening of sheep on this farm, and countless others like it, is superfluous. However, there is a huge amount of pride taken in the sheep here, and pride in one's work caring for and preparing an animal for its next owner. It isn't just a job or chore that has to be done. It is truly a labour of love. The way some sheep leave the byre kicking up their heels, it could just be that they like all the attention too!

Here are some before and after photos of the colouring process.

Even the big boys get a turn.


Whoops, we missed one.

The drying rock.

Back off to their home field after a day at the salon.


Next up, genotyping.


Archives:
August 25, 2007: Sheep Spa and Nationals
August 14, 2007: Roy goes Gathering for the First Time
August 7, 2007 Foot and Mouth Scare
August 3, 2007 Country bumpkins go to London
July 28, 2007 Whales and Wales
July 21, 2007 Blood sampling ewes.
July 16, 2007 A week of gathering sheep