What did you do today?

[Nanno]

I did not shampoo before shaving. I used a 1/2" clipper guard on my adjustable blade, which was fully extended, so it probably works out closer to 5/8". Most of them didn't need much on the neck and shoulders because they'd already shedded out in the front. It was also easy because I brushed most of them throughout the spring so they didn't have any undercoat left. Clipping through that fine, linty undercoat is a nightmare. The last 2-3 times I clipped Cuzco I had problems with that because he stopped shedding properly in his old age. He'd go bald in some places but he refused to shed his undercoat in others. I'm guessing his thyroid was starting to give out by then and it was playing havoc with his shedding cycle.

My purebred Nubians don't grow an undercoat at all. Rambo has very long, thick guard hairs and seems to be fine, but Rocky sometimes gets cold in winter and has to snuggle up to his buddy, Rambo. Sputnik doesn't grow much undercoat either, which is a blessing because he HATES to be brushed. He's learned how to tolerate it and stand still if he's tied, but if he's loose and he so much as sees or hears me brushing another goat he high tails it to the other side of the house and hides until I put the brush away. Greedy as he is, no amount of treats and bribery will convince him to voluntarily come in for a brush. He deeply enjoys being bathed, though, which is really funny to me. He doesn't particularly care for the clippers but tolerated them well this time until I got to his belly. He didn't like having his belly done at all!