BetterShearing
by ryycat
BetterShearing targets the sheep a player clicks while shearing, so crowded pens with overlapping hitboxes stop causing misclicks.
What it does
The mod changes only the client. When a player looks at a crowded pen, it checks which sheep the line of sight actually reaches and favors one that still carries wool. Sheep already sheared are skipped, so a player does not have to click repeatedly to get past them.
Because it is client-side only, it works on vanilla multiplayer servers and Realms without anyone on the server installing anything. Each player who wants the behavior adds it to their own Fabric setup. The mod is published for Fabric only, across two game versions, 1.21.11 and 26.1, and is released under the MIT License. The code is not open source.
Key features
Client-side hitbox fix
Sheep shearing is adjusted on the client so overlapping hitboxes in a pen no longer decide which animal is hit.
Smart target selection
The targeting check looks at what the line of sight reaches and gives priority to sheep that still have wool.
Sheared sheep skipped
Animals already shorn are ignored during targeting, which reduces repeated clicks in tightly packed pens.
Works on vanilla servers
Because nothing needs to run on the server, the change applies on vanilla multiplayer servers and Realms.
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
Use cases
Crowded sheep pens
Farms where many sheep are packed into a small area, so hitboxes overlap and the wrong animal is often selected.
Multiplayer shearing
Players shearing on servers that cannot take extra mods, since the change lives entirely in each player's client.
Who it’s for: Players who shear sheep in dense pens and find the targeting frustrating, and players on vanilla servers or Realms who want a client-only change.
How it compares
Only Elytra Hitbox is client-side only, uses CC0 1.0 Universal and covers 1.21.1 – 1.21.11 on Fabric. Better Hitbox is also client-side only on Fabric, under the MIT License, with builds for 1.21.6 – 26.3. Beautiful Hitboxes is client-side only on Fabric, released as All rights reserved, for 1.21.8 – 1.21.11.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BetterShearing | Fabric | 1.21.11 – 26.1 | Client-side only | 2026-03-25 |
| Only Elytra Hitbox | Fabric | 1.21.1 – 1.21.11 | Client-side only | 2025-12-29 |
| Better Hitbox | Fabric | 1.21.6 – 26.3 | Client-side only | 2026-09-16 |
| Beautiful Hitboxes | Fabric | 1.21.8 – 1.21.11 | Client-side only | 2026-02-14 |
Questions
Does BetterShearing need to be installed on the server?
Which loader does BetterShearing use?
Which game versions have BetterShearing files?
In the catalog
BetterShearing is one of 3,545 Optimization mods on ModsFinder, and one of 2,575 Optimization mods for Fabric. 11,959 mods support Minecraft 26.1.
More from ryycat
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What the author says
Shearing sheep in Minecraft can be incredibly frustrating, especially when they are crammed together in a pen and overlapping hitboxes prevent you from targeting the right god dawm sheep. This simple client-side QoL mod fixes this issue by introducing smart target selection.
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/bettershearing
- Owner
- ryycat
- Published
- 2026-03-21
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2026-03-25
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15