It was buzzing at Twilight Hutterite Colony, (close to Whitemud Creek) last week.

The sheep shearing machines were humming, the sheep bleating, the children laughing and the mumble from all the visitors emanating from the barn hinted to the fact that it was sheep-shearing time at the colony.

Every year the ewes are shorn in December, just before lambing time starts in January. By shearing the ewes now, they can “eat more feed, need less space in the barn and are cleaner for lambing time” explains Simpson Entz, the sheep boss at the colony.

Some people may find this a bit cold for the ewes; however these sheep have the luxury of a heated barn!

With six shearers, mostly from the South Peace Colony (close to Dawson Creek), the job is done within two days. The children from the colony help with the packing of the wool, the older lads move the sheep through the chutes while others clean up the belly wool and keep the shearing floor clean and swept.