Sheep Shearing

The Faroe Islands

For several years I have spent part of each year in the Faroe Islands. In 2005-6 I lived for 14 months in Fuglafjørður, my father’s home town.

The Faroe Islands are 18 small islands in the North Atlantic, north of the British Isles, a semi-independent territory of Denmark, with their own language (Faroese), their own flag, and limited self-rule. It is a small country (49,000 people) and very remote, but a completely modern, industrialized Scandinavian country.

You can email me at jehenke@gmail.com. I hope to hear from you.

Sheep Shearing

Posted on July 16, 2012 by jenniferhenke

Mid-July is time for sheep shearing in the Faroe Islands. The sheep go up in the mountains to graze for the summer, so the first step is to go up in the mountains and bring them down. 30-40 people, including children, and three dogs spent all morning driving the sheep down to the sheep fold. Some of the people who don’t go up the mountain bring lunch for everyone.

The lambs are separated into a separate pen, identified by their owners, given a dose of medicine and vitamins, and then are let out of the pens to go back up the mountain. Then comes the long process of shearing the rest of the sheep. Most of the sheep are quiet and calm during the shearing, but occasionally there is one that fights and struggles.