Annual sheep shearing festival in Ottawa

The annual sheep shearing festival takes place this weekend at the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum in Ottawa. The popular festival, which has been running since 2008, attracts about 5,000 people over the weekend. Click the link for more details. Click the photographs to enlarge them.

Professional sheep shearer Ross Creighton and an assistant, bring the first sheep of the day onto the stage for its makeover.

Trimming the nails. Yes, even sheep get pedicures!

Administering an antibiotic medication.

The haircut begins. The goal is to take all the wool off in one piece. Mr. Creighton has 38 years experience shearing sheep. He shears between 5,000 – 6,000 sheep per year. 

After he has finished with one side, Mr. Creighton moves the sheep around to do the other side.

The final result – trimmed nails and a new summer haircut.

Mr. Creighton rolls up the wool and bags it. It will be sent off for cleaning and processing. Each wool coat weighs about 2.7 kilograms (six pounds). Eighty per cent of the wool gets exported to China.