Tips for How to Shear Goats

Goats are sheared for their wool, such as the Pygora or Angora goat. The wool fibers can then be sold at market, and later turned into yard for clothing. Shearing can be hard on your back, because you have to bend over to do it. But once you have mastered it, you can avoid a costly visit from a professional shearer.

  1. Plan Ahead

    • It is important to plan when to shear your goats. Pygora goats need shearing twice a year, whereas mohair-producing goats need to be sheared in early spring and fall. Cashmere-producing goats should not be sheared at all -- instead, the hair should be plucked or combed from the goat.

    Kill Mites and Lice

    • To ensure you shear the best quality hair, you need to remove any bugs from the goat's hair fibers before you shear it. You can do this by applying an insecticide to the animal three weeks before the planned shearing. Using a product that contains permethrin or pyrethrin to kill any mites and lice it may be carrying.

    Dry the Goat

    • The fibers are better sheared and stored when they are dry, so put the goats undercover to prevent the hair from getting moist. It is also easier to shear a goat when its coat is dry. You can do this by securing the animal inside a barn or pen at least 24 hours before shearing. During colder periods and during snow or rain, this is an essential part of the preparation process.

    Prepare the Aftercare

    • Make sure you line the goat's shelter with a clean, thick bed of straw or hay, ready for after it has been shorn. The goats are more susceptible to infection without their warm coats so keeping them sheltered is important to protect them. Provide the goat with lots of straw in a clean and well-maintained environment for at least a month after you have sheared it.

    Get Your Equipment Ready

    • You will find it easier to shear goats if you have all the right tools ready beforehand. Your basic supplies should include sheep shears, a grooming stand, scissors and pillowcases to collect the fibers.

    Order of Shearing

    • Shear the goat in the correct order so you do not damage or devalue the hair. Most goat shearers will first shave its belly, then each side of its body and then the back legs. Next, work the shears up from the bottom of its throat to the top of its head. Then, to complete the task, the hair from its crown to rear end is removed.