I remember having the shearer come to our farm when I was a kid. Those poor sheep looked so naked! I have a wool blanket that my dad had made from our wool. I love it!
Once I asked my dad why he sheared the sheep so early. He said that if the mammas got cold they would take their babies to shelter. If the mammas had a heavy wool coat, their babies could freeze. My 87 year old mother still has a few sheep