The shearing of a Nanaimo senior91裸聊视频檚 sheep was a neighbourhood affair last week, attracting family friends to see their first shearing, a neighbour91裸聊视频檚 hand to help out and, of course, a professional shearer needed to make it happen.

91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 going to give them all a pair of scissors and we91裸聊视频檒l be done in a minute,91裸聊视频� joked shearer Lorea Tomsin as one of the ewes was brought out.

Deborah Wytinck, 75, wanted to be a farmer since she was nine. In the late 1970s she and her late husband Don arrived in Nanaimo and began raising their livestock, dubbed coneygeers flock.

At its height, the couple had a hundred north country cheviot breeding ewes, but now it91裸聊视频檚 just four: Beanie, Beanita, BWX and GGW. The sheep are bred for lambs which then are either sold to larger operations or used for mutton.

But the money isn91裸聊视频檛 why Wytinck does it 91裸聊视频� it91裸聊视频檚 the holistic benefits that keep her farming even after her husband91裸聊视频檚 death in March. She said she doesn91裸聊视频檛 know what the long-term future may hold, but for now she91裸聊视频檚 keeping the farm going.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 a good, healthy life and you feed well and you keep active,91裸聊视频� Wytinck said. 91裸聊视频淲e make a certain amount of profit, but the inputs always exceeds your output it seems in farming.91裸聊视频�

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The flock require about three hours of work a day. Wytinck said it91裸聊视频檚 mostly comprised of keeping the holding pens clean, with a bit of time toward feeding the animals grain and hay.

91裸聊视频淵our biggest thing is having safe perimeter fences, number one. The next thing us having divided pastures,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淯nfortunately when you91裸聊视频檙e like me who is no good at fence building it91裸聊视频檚 pretty difficult because all 91裸聊视频� lifestock can be difficult on fencing. Especially Beanie91裸聊视频檚 mother over there, Beanita.91裸聊视频�

In the past, the unprocessed wool would be sold for processing in Duncan, but with the mill no longer in operation there, it has to be sent off Island.

91裸聊视频淲e used to sell the very best to hand spinners. In fact, we still do, but not to the same degree since it takes a lot of time and effort,91裸聊视频� Wytinck said. 91裸聊视频淭hese are a hill breed, therefore it91裸聊视频檚 not a wool you wear next to your skin, it91裸聊视频檚 an outer.91裸聊视频�

With wool comes the need for an annual shearing.

A fellow wool producer, Tomsin has spent the last 57 years shearing sheep 91裸聊视频減regnant or otherwise91裸聊视频� visiting farms throughout Cedar, Courtenay, Sechelt and other places.

Along with a cut, she gives each an oral boost of de-wormer, and the young get their ear identification tags, done similarly to a piercing.

Tomsin said she has seen a 91裸聊视频渉uge decrease91裸聊视频� of sheep and cattle farms in the past number of years.

91裸聊视频淭he economics of feed production has been really hard hard because the animals eat 91裸聊视频榵91裸聊视频� amount of hay per day or feed and it91裸聊视频檚 so expensive,91裸聊视频� she said.

According to Tomsin, a producer needs a large number of animals if they want to turn a profit, and even then they may need an additional income.

91裸聊视频淭he reality is, in agriculture in Canada, almost every farm has an outside worker, a person bringing in money, but what I call that is cash flow throughout the year. To be waiting for harvest at certain times of the year means you91裸聊视频檙e without money for certain months. So people are always working a job.91裸聊视频�

This is why Wytinck said she and Don began focusing on purebreds. Last year they sold a set of triplets for $6,000, but Wytinck warned not all lambs go that well.

91裸聊视频淲ith a purebred animal you are reproducing, maintaining the character, but you know that the offspring, that91裸聊视频檚 what you91裸聊视频檙e going to get,91裸聊视频� Wytinck said. 91裸聊视频淚nto totally producing meat, you91裸聊视频檙e definitely going to need to cross breeds and that will give you a higher percentage of meat most times.91裸聊视频�

With the urbanization of Nanaimo, she said she believes she will be the last to run the farm since she can91裸聊视频檛 imagine the agricultural zoning will be granted to the property again if it91裸聊视频檚 ever lost.

91裸聊视频淚t will die when I die or leave it,91裸聊视频� she said.