WATCH THIS VIDEO WITH QR CODE
FIND OUT ALL ABOUT THIS VIETNAM FARM!
BESTIES SHEARING BEASTIES Right Choice Shearing follows the adventures of a married couple travelling the US and giving haircuts to animals. After launching in June 2021, the channel now has more than 1.4 million subscribers. Katie and Darian McRose were high-school besties who started an animal shearing business based on teenage overconfidence and major demand among small farmers, petting zoos and local wildlife operations. “When we rolled up in the back seat of my mom’s truck to our first job, we had absolutely no idea how to shear one sheep – and there were seven!” explains Katie. “We struggled for four hours and $35 to finish that first herd. It looked like we had used a Weed Whacker on a pile of Tempur-Pedic pillows, but they were shorn. The lady was thrilled and told the whole town. Before we knew it, we were shearing every weekend, and became known as the ones who shear anything.” The two attended Texas A&M together, getting animal science degrees and funding their education with the shearing business. “By the end of college, I convinced Darian to marry me and thought she’d fall for the magical lifestyle of full-time sheep, llama and alpaca shearing. I was right, but the magical part was a bit off base.” The business grew from shearing at 175 farms the first year to 350 by the second, and 575 by the fifth. They shear in nine states, and in the spring do 14- to 18-hour days, possibly six or seven days a week. “It seems insane, but the drive is to get to as many animals as we can before the summer heat strikes. If alpaca, llama, sheep and some
WOOL WONDERS Right Choice Shearing has a global audience
breeds of goat are left unshorn, the summer heat can cause heatstroke, not to mention the disease and rot that comes from neglected fleeces. But it’s becoming harder and harder to find shearers. Most professional shearers in the US can be found on the shearing floor servicing 100-200 sheep a day. These men and women don’t have time in the spring or summer to stop by all the small herds.”
The channel started as a Facebook page where Katie shared photos and articles on the shearing industry, trying to spread accurate information based on science and real-world experience. She once shared a video of a llama being shorn, with a short write-up on the process, and people wanted more. “My grandfather, who always told me I should start a YouTube channel, gave me a gentle nudge. Next thing I know, videos are taking off, people are talking, learning, sharing and growing. It’s turned into a bright spot in our community. People are seeing the beauty and passion of one of the world’s oldest professions.” production tech is kept simple. They started their channel on an iPhone 11 and have recently upgraded to an iPhone 13, which has included toying with 1080p/60fps settings. A DJI Osmo Mobile gimbal also makes a big difference in stabilisation for JOY AND LOVE As with the Animal Cracker,
WATCH THIS VIDEO WITH QR CODE
VISIT THE SASKDUTCH KID DAIRY FARM
feedmagazine.tv
Powered by FlippingBook