Sharpening hand shears

JJayoo

Hello

Just wondering if anyone has any suggestions on tools for sharpening hand Shears? I have used some excellent sharpeners for kitchen knifes and am just wondering if the same exist for hand shears. I have used a crap one in the past but it kinda broke, after I accidentally flung it against the wall :pac:

jmrc

Small round file, like that used to sharpen a chainsaw.......... works for me, that said I prefer hanging up an electric machine to dag. life is too short for clipping....!

Username John

jmrc wrote: »

Small round file, like that used to sharpen a chainsaw.......... works for me, that said I prefer hanging up an electric machine to dag. life is too short for clipping....!

Same as - use a chainsaw file. Main reason is, its the only file I ever have around. Rest the shears on the gate, give it a few rubs, job done...

Cran

I find the sharping stones the best, and also cheap enough in any hardware. I find you get what you pay for in hand shears, have had a few and only one any good are the expensive ones unfort. Best here is a 50 year old one the old man gave me recently takes a great edge...

rangler1

Cran wrote: »

I find the sharping stones the best, and also cheap enough in any hardware. I find you get what you pay for in hand shears, have had a few and only one any good are the expensive ones unfort. Best here is a 50 year old one the old man gave me recently takes a great edge...

Don't know when I've dagged a sheep since I've based my flock on Lleyn, Texel and vendeen

Cran

rangler1 wrote: »

Don't know when I've dagged a sheep since I've based my flock on Lleyn, Texel and vendeen

Ye I'm finding the Lleyn cross ewes way cleaner than the straight Mules, you get the odd mule who gets dirty and I never breed ewe lambs from them. Similarly couldn't image moving back to the Suffolk from Charollais x lambs, they're so much cleaner and Texels/Vendeens I see are also nice and clean sheep.

Green farmer

Cran wrote: »

I find the sharping stones the best, and also cheap enough in any hardware. I find you get what you pay for in hand shears, have had a few and only one any good are the expensive ones unfort. Best here is a 50 year old one the old man gave me recently takes a great edge...

Bought a sharpening stone this morning for hand clippers. didn't cost much, €8 in coop and worth having. Did a decent job, but I need to practice sharpening technique to get it really good. Any tips ?

Cran

Green farmer wrote: »

Bought a sharpening stone this morning for hand clippers. didn't cost much, €8 in coop and worth having. Did a decent job, but I need to practice sharpening technique to get it really good. Any tips ?

Few quick rubs at an angle, cut into the stone. I find quick rub between every few sheep better than trying to put longer edge on it.

Check out some of the hand shearer videos on youtube, see how those boys do it....

tomwaterford

rangler1 wrote: »

Don't know when I've dagged a sheep since I've based my flock on Lleyn, Texel and vendeen

like sheep as much as the next man....but there no money would pay you to clip shoite off them


though to answer op question.....I taught I used to have a good edge...until one day I happen to be back at old lad near me place....he pulled a stone off the the rafter of an old house
well the edge he put on it....if I wasn't extra careful I could have destroyed sheep:o

Green farmer

I've no problem with the ewes, but the lambs are getting destroyed at the moment. I've them well dosed, but the flys are causing them to scour themselves, even though they've been drenched in ectofly. Then no option to bring out the clippers. Anyone finding this at the moment ?

tomwaterford

Green farmer wrote: »

I've no problem with the ewes, but the lambs are getting destroyed at the moment. I've them well dosed, but the flys are causing them to scour themselves. Anyone finding this at the moment ?

flys will hardly cause them to scour??
have you tried changing dose/using a stronger dose??

Green farmer

I rotate dose alright, never same one twice. Their on good after grass and I dosed them a week ago. I was thinking it had to be the fly, hatching out around tail area making lamb loose ?

greysides

Green farmer wrote: »

I was thinking it had to be the fly, hatching out around tail area making lamb loose ?

You've got that logic in reverse.

Do a faecal egg count reduction test: Mark a number of sheep and identify them individually. Take individual dung samples and dose. Sent samples off. Ten days later (? not sure exactly how long), re-sample and compare results.

I think you're looking for a 90%+ reduction for there to be no drug resistance.

(Google the test details)

I did the googling.....http://www.scops.org.uk/anthelmintics-testing-for-resistance.html

Some good info on that site, for example http://www.scops.org.uk/ten-things.html

Green farmer

I honestly don't think it's any resistance issue, How long after dosing should lamb dry up ? What other things can cause lambs to get loose ?

Connemara Farmer

greysides wrote: »

Ten days later (? not sure exactly how long), re-sample and compare results.

The resampling date differs with the drug used. Can look up the drug names but I used Chanaverm last year and the resampling date was 7 days post dosing, this year Panacur SC I think and the resampling date was something like 10-14 days. I think the info is in the terms and conditions of the STAP scheme on Department website somewhere. Both doses 100% effective here.

Cran

Green farmer wrote: »

I honestly don't think it's any resistance issue, How long after dosing should lamb dry up ? What other things can cause lambs to get loose ?

Could be mineral deficiency, but best bet is test for worms and then minerals.

ganmo

Cran wrote: »

Could be mineral deficiency, but best bet is test for worms and then minerals.

Ya being on after grass leads me to think that too.

Username John

Do you give em Cobalt Greenfarmer? I give my lambs colbalt every few weeks. Without it, you would notice they would be a bit off...
Now, I dunno does lacking in it make em loose, but I think it helps em.

Are your lambs still putting on weight, even tho they are dirty?

Green farmer

I've eighty lambs between two paddocks. I dosed them 8 days ago used yellow dose on one group, white dose on other. Both got top up of ectofly at same time. 2lambs in one group were dirty and had maggots 4 days ago. Then yesterday found another two lambs from the other group dirty. Of that second group both had signs of flystrike, cuts but flys gone. All 4 the thrive has stopped on them. Rest of lambs thriving ahead. Haven't given them cobalt in about 4 weeks. Due to do it again. All on good after grass. 100 ewes in different field all clean, always perfect response to dosing. No new sheep bought in over two years (other then ram lamb recently)

razor8

Green farmer wrote: »

I rotate dose alright, never same one twice. Their on good after grass and I dosed them a week ago. I was thinking it had to be the fly, hatching out around tail area making lamb loose ?

Wouldn't be anything to do with it. I find keeping minerals to them keeps them clean although Suffolk's can get loose on after grass. You could be getting resistance either
What products did you use?

Username John

Green farmer wrote: »

I've eighty lambs between two paddocks. I dosed them 8 days ago used yellow dose on one group, white dose on other. Both got top up of ectofly at same time. 2lambs in one group were dirty and had maggots 4 days ago. Then yesterday found another two lambs from the other group dirty. Of that second group both had signs of flystrike, cuts but flys gone. All 4 the thrive has stopped on them. Rest of lambs thriving ahead. Haven't given them cobalt in about 4 weeks. Due to do it again. All on good after grass. 100 ewes in different field all clean, always perfect response to dosing. No new sheep bought in over two years (other then ram lamb recently)

I had something similar before, and it turned out to Coccidia, but the dirty lambs were not thriving at all. Had to dose with Vecoxan. (I got an FEC done, to tell me what was wrong)
Not sure why they got it, some lads said it was cos they were low in minerals (which is why I try to keep on top of the cobalt as best I can)

Now - as I said, the dirty ones I had, were not thriving at all. So I dont think that's yer problem...

Do you have any hay, to throw it into em, to see if they would pick it? Could it be that the grass is just after coming on too much, and too rich the past few days?

I think tho til you get an FEC done, you wont know really...
I got tests done by this crowd before. But as they're local to me, I was able to drop in the samples, and get the results the next day.

Green farmer

Might get a fec rest done alright.ill give them a shot of minerals as well.

ganmo

Green farmer wrote: »

Might get a fec rest done alright.ill give them a shot of minerals as well.

Don't be afraid to give them some copper

Green farmer

Thanks ganmo. I'll try a few things like that as well.

Username John

How are your lambs now Green?

Green farmer

Username John wrote: »

How are your lambs now Green?

Not fully happy with them. The odd one still loose. I looked up a teagasc book I had, and said trichostrongylus species of parasites are causing problems at this time of year, so bought a clear drench this morning and going to do lambs with it, along with cobalt drench.
I spoke to a meat guy today also, told me its a real issue at the moment with a large % of lambs dirty, and fly strike is also bad out there.