Apifera Farm - where art, story, animals & woman merge. Home to artist Katherine Dunn

Apifera Farm is a registered 501 [c][3]. #EIN# 82-2236486

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©Katherine Dunn.





Tuesday, May 07, 2013

Mobile shedding units



It is shedding season. The hair coats of the flock begin to fall in clumps, tufts and white or brown orbs. They seem to have different shedding personalities - some peel off their hair almost in giant pieces early on in the spring, others seem to walk around much longer with their thick coats and rub and roll to rid themselves of the extra heat.

All the fences and trees and any upright piece of furniture suitable for rubbing on are covered in their hair. It is one reason a sheep farmer can always find something to do - fence mending - on any given day. I like to help peel the hair clumbs out - some sheep like it, others don't. I only do it if it is almost pulled off - if one assists too early it can cause sun burn, especially on the white sheep of the flock.

So if you came to the farm this month, you might take pause and wonder - "Why is there so much white stuff floating around?"

It's just the layers of the flock, floating off to their next purpose - perhaps a bird's nest or soft bed for a rabbit.