Pocketbook of sheep growers for shearing

1) All sheep need to be emptied out before shearing. i.e. No feed or water to be administered to the sheep for a minimum of 12 hours prior to shearing. By carrying out this practice the sheep’s stomach and bladder will be empty and therefore the wool does not become contaminated with dung and urine. The sheep will also sit better for shearing as they do not struggle the same which enables the shearing process to be easier for both the shearer and the sheep. Never shear wet wool or pack wet wool.

2) The belly wool needs to be kept completely separate from the fleece wool. The shearer should remove and throw the belly aside as the sheep is being shorn, belly wool to be packed separately.

3) All short, stained wool and tags need to be removed from the crutch area as the sheep is being shorn. This wool is kept completely separate from all other types of wool and packed separately.

4) All fleeces should to be thrown onto a wool table to enable the skirting of the fleeces to be performed in a proficient manner. Chaffy or bury wool should be skirted from the fleece and packed separately.

5) The board should be swept and kept clean between sheep as well as during the shearing of the sheep.

6) All fleeces should be shaken to remove any second cuts before rolling and pressing the fleeces.

7) When pressing the wool all the different categories of wool are to be pressed separately. There should be no mixing of the different wool types during shearing but when pressing at the end of shearing the different types of wool can be put into one bag but they need to be separated by sheets of newspaper.

8) All bags are to be sewn with butchers twine. Please do not use baling twine, wire, electric fence wire, or polyprop twine to sew the wool bags.

9) All bags need to be identified as to their contents.

10) Where possible during shearing the level of straw needs to be kept to a minimum and away from the shearing area to keep the contamination level to a minimum.

11) Coloured sheep are to be separated and shorn last so as not to contaminate the white wool with coloured fibres.

12) Fleece preparation incentives of up to 5¢/lb is applicable for bright high yielding fleeces that have been properly skirted and packaged.

 


Rolling the fleece (all wools)

 Spread skirted fleece on skirting table or clean wool handling area, flesh side down

*  Fold fleece into thirds

*  Roll fleece from rear of animal to front.

*  Roll fleece flesh side out.

Shearing Tips

If you are hiring a custom Shearer
   ...shearing will be more efficient when you…

• Book well in advance.
• Have sheep crutched before-hand.
• Pen sheep close 12 hours prior to shearing with no feed or water.
• Prepare a clean, well-lighted area with access to an electrical outlet.
• Provide plenty of head room.
• Have catching pen near the shearing area.
• Have extra help for filling the catching pen and preparing the fleece for market.

If you are doing the shearing
   ...shearing will be more efficient when you…

• Get qualified instruction.
• Shear only dry sheep on a clean, dry surface.
• Shear belly wool first and pack separately.
• Shear coloured sheep last and pack this wool separately.
• Do not shear black face and leg fibres.
• Avoid second cuts on the wool wherever possible.