Table of Content

1. Introduction

2. Purpose/Objective

3. Application/Scope

4. Principles of sheep welfare

5. Health and safety risks in shearing

6. Managing the risks

7. Course of action to follow

8. Prepare sheep for shearing

9. Guide on fasting time for sheep

  1. Pre-fasting

  2. Rams

  3. Heavy and Aggressive sheep

  4. Drought Affected Sheep

10. Recommendations

  1. For ewes

  2. For hoggets

  3. For lambs

  4. For wethers

11. Information, education and training

12. Legal responsibilities of persons involved in training

  1. Responsibilities of employers and contractors

  2. Responsibilities of employees

13. Implementation and review

Bibliography

Glossary

Disclaimer

  1. Introduction

Handling sheep, especially the sheep which are full of feed and water, can cause severe injuries to the shearer. Both farmers and shearing industry personnel have very real concerns regarding the emptying out of sheep before shearing. Farmers worry that prolonged periods off feed before shearing can:

• Affect the growth and development of unborn lambs when ewes are shorn during pregnancy. 

• Cause metabolic problems in ewes when they shorn in late pregnancy. 

• Cause permanent weight loss or reduced growth in lambs when ewes are shorn with lambs at feet.

Shearers and other woolshed staff are concerned that full sheep:

• Add to the already heavy drag-out weight of many ewes. 

• Kick and struggle more during shearing. 

• Cause hazardous conditions in the catching pens and on the shearing board by passing more feces and urine. 

According to Accident Compensation Corporation New Zealand statistics, full sheep can’t always be blamed; strains, back injuries and sprains associated with exhausting movement and lifting are a serious problem in the shearing industry. Wool buyers and processors also consider that full sheep increase the incidence of pen stain in wool. Though not always discounted at the sale, pen stain can increase the rate of fading in woollen products.  

Based on current scientific knowledge, recommended industry practice and community expectations, the Fasting Policy for Sheep is a key policy that stresses the fasting time of sheep prior to shearing and how the right fasting time will be advantageous for both the shearers and the sheep. 

  1. Purpose/Objective

The objective of the policy is to make a practical recommendation to reduce the incidence of full sheep being presented for shearing, as well as ensuring positive welfare and performance outcomes for sheep.

The aim of the fasting policy is to:

• Specify the legal standards of management and husbandry requirements to protect and maintain the welfare of sheep in Australia.

• Provide a better understanding of the complex issues surrounding full sheep by farmers, wool harvesting staff and other sheep industry personnel. 

• Offer recommended guidelines for livestock managers, producers, contractors, owners and stock persons, in order to complement the standards and to assist them for maintaining the risks associated with the welfare of sheep in all types of sheep, as well as related enterprises. 

• Reduced pen stains in wool and improved product performance.

  1. Application/Scope

Australian Animal Welfare Standards and guidelines apply to all sheep farming enterprises in Australia from extensive grazing to fully housed systems. The standards apply to all those responsible for the care and management of sheep, including farmers, farm staff, shearing contractors, shearers, wool classes, wool handlers, etc. and should be considered in conjunction with other needs for livestock, and related Commonwealth, state and territory legislation. There are standards and guidelines that specifically relate to transport, the abattoirs or saleyards so those provisions are the standards required if you are at that location. 

  1. Principles of sheep welfare

Sheep in Australia are managed in environments that vary from broad rangelands to intensively housed systems. As the welfare of the animals depends on the people, who are in charge of looking after them, it is crucial to ensure that those people have adequate knowledge, experience and expertise in order to meet the needs of the standards. Adherence to good animal husbandry principles is vital to meet the welfare requirements of animals. Furthermore, good husbandry principles meet the basic physiological and behavioural needs of sheep.

  1. Health and safety risks in shearing

Everyone involved in shearing and associated areas can face health and safety hazards. Sheep are very unpredictable and have a tendency to charge when they find a chance to escape, especially when held in pens. Similar kinds of accidents or injuries can occur to the sheep because of the same problem, which affects the workers can also affect the sheep. 

The common health and safety issues in shearing include:

• Bruising and cuts.

• A slippery shearing board makes it harder for shearers to keep control of the sheep and enhances the risk of slipping over causing injuries. 

• People can be injured owing to slipping, tripping and falling in gates, sheep pens, and races. 

• Injuries due to machinery.

• Catching and dragging sheep can cause sprains, strains, and similar kinds of injuries to the back, hands, arms, shoulders, knees and other parts of the body.

• Heatstroke and heat exhaustion. 

• Injuries and diseases arising from working with sheep, mainly when lifting them.

• Flesh needles for stitching increase the risk of transmitting disease from a sheep to another one or to the worker. 

• Ill-designed, narrow potholes or chute can increase the risk of back injury and place a significant strain on the shearer, following crutching or shearing. Furthermore, sheep are hurt and maimed by poorly designed exists.

  1. Managing the risks

According to a study, Once Australia was considered to be riding on the sheep’s back, but nowadays, it is better to say that the country is riding on the shearer’s back. It is because research has found that sheep shearing puts more stress on the body than any other job, and thus, making Australian shearers the hardest workers in the world in terms of physical output and calorie uptake. Some possible improvements could lighten the load for the shearers. One should be to the catching pen where they actually catch the sheep, as the hardest part of shearing is, in fact dragging the sheep from the catching pen to the down-tube. 

If we run the batons parallel to the path of drag and if that catching pen slopes, the size of it helps the shearer enormously. The position of the down-tube which is a thing that holds or drives the shearing hand-piece, the position of that is really important. Where they let the sheep go, there's a porthole where they have to push them out, the size and position and structure of that is important. 

Besides, it is the whole set-up of those particular items in relation to each other. And when all those are changed properly, one can do shearing in a shed quite easily. As these sheds were built more than 50 or 60 years ago without any thought to this sort of thing, and there hasn't been too much done for the shearer in that last 50 or 60 years to change it. 

Improving the condition of the workplace ultimately contributes to making the job easier for shearers. And so, before the work starts, the employer must meet the employees to discuss health and safety issues and try to resolve the matters carefully. A properly designed workplace reduces harm to animals and staff. 

The actions that can be taken include:

• Negotiations between the owner and the staff can help to determine the method for shearing before the shearing starts. It will allow that much-required support, which will be available to shearers in the event of a ram struggling free or a sheep becoming free on the board.

• Staff, who are in shearing, must be given a chance to rest and relax. If the staff members are physically and mentally exhausted, then they would not be able to handle sheep in a proper way and as a result, they would hurt themselves, as well as the animals.

  1. Course of action

There are several guidelines that are taken by the company for the welfare of the animals, including:

• The staff, who will be in charge of the animal, must ensure that the physical and behavioural needs of the animals are met.

• If any animal is injured then the person who is given the responsibility, should make sure that the animal gets the proper treatment in order to minimise the unnecessary pain or distress.

• As mentioned in the Northern Territory of Australia Animal Welfare Act 1999, all persons in charge of an animal owe duty of care to it; employees should treat the animals with care and kindness.

• The client should follow the Health and Safety recommendations for the fasting of sheep before shearing.

  1. Prepare sheep for shearing  

In order to reduce the risk of injury and to make the most of shearing, livestock managers, producers, contractors, owners and stock persons, should ensure that the sheep are fasted appropriately and according to their needs. Sheep that are full of feed and water can’t handle shearing. They can become stressed, violent, weak and injured. 

Leptospirosis is spread by the urine of infected animals. The organism enters the body through the mouth, eyes or nose and broken skin. People become infected when handling by-products of urinating animals. Leptospirosis can cause severe illness including influenza-like symptoms, pulmonary hemorrhage, headache, muscular pain, vomiting, intolerance of light, abdominal pain, fetal mortality. etc.   

Fasting sheep before shearing benefits both farmers and shearers. Sheep that have emptied stomach don’t struggle much and cause fewer back injuries, as well as strains. Furthermore, full sheep loaded into the yards and woolshed can contribute to the workers being exposed to ammonia moreover fasting reduces the risk of disease to woolshed workers and pen stains in wool.

Sheep for shearing or crutching should be managed to prevent exposure, sunburn and smothering. Stop shearing if the weather is, or forecast to be cold, wet and windy especially when no adequate shelter is available for newly shorn sheep. Store the sheep in the woolshed or covered yards until any risk has passed. Release sheep into an adequately sheltered area. 

It is a precarious task to facilitate shearing, mustering and husbandry requirements, shed maintenance and so on. It is important to communicate with the Shearing Contractor and establish any needs prior to shearing. Previous shed tallies and the shearers most current tally help to estimate the amount of sheep required for a full day's work. Be prepared to review the required amount of sheep regularly and communicate effectively with the Overseer and Staff while shearing.

Before shearing consider:

Holding Paddocks: If there is lush feed in the holding paddocks and yards, chew this out weeks before yarding mobs of stock. The ideal pre-fasting paddock is of light feed, water trough and shade. Sheep should be fasted according to their needs.

Yards: For fasting, the yards should be of dirt floor, rock, cement or baton rail grating – with no excess to water and food. Reduce any dust by using sprinklers on a dusty floor.

Dry sheep: Farmers should ensure that sheep are dry for shearing. Shearing damp or wet wool increases the risk of wool abscesses and arthritis.

Chemicals: Do not treat fly strike in the wool prior to shearing. Storage and use of chemicals inside of the woolshed is prohibited and the use of chemicals around the woolshed is restricted. Any sheep laden with chemicals will be rejected and should not be presented for shearing. Chemical treatments for sheep should be executed in the designated zone which ensures risk of exposure for employees by downdraft is eliminated. 

Dagged: Dag sheep before shearing.

Drafted: Draft sheep to separate: 

  • Dry sheep: Farmers must make sure sheep are dry for shearing. Shearing damp or wet wool increases the risk of wool abscesses and arthritis.

  • Dagged: Dag sheep before shearing

  • Drafted: Draft sheep to separate 

    1. Breeds 

    2. Sex

    3. Ages: lambs, hoggets and adult sheep 

    4. wool lengths: sheep shorn at different times 

    5. Sick sheep, including footrot, ticks, lice and flyblown

  1. Guide on fasting time for sheep 

Staff, who are responsible for shearing, need to ensure that no sheep goes without food or water for a longer period of time than the recommended deprivation.

Studies show that fasting sheep contributes to causing loss in live weight, loss from faeces and urine especially in the first 24 hours. Live weight will continue to decline steadily for up to 36 hours, but more slowly after that. Fasting contributes to dehydration but sheep do seem to tolerate water deprivation and most only require water while grazing.

Ruminants typically consume 4% of their body weight in feed everyday. Lactating animals consume more and have an even greater weight of water. Time off feed includes the time sheep spend mobbed up during mustering when feed intake is minimal. Moreover sheep who have been on lush pasture or dry feed and crop need time to rest before fasting.

Animals need to recover quickly from the effects of fasting in order to maintain their efficiency and production. After the stress of shearing and adjusting to companions, feed and in some situations water. Internally the sheep needs to rehydrate, rebuild its microbial populations in the rumen and large intestine. Restore any loss in electrolytes and the enzymes of the liver and muscles. Then to ensure restoration of kidney function and as such adequate shelter, feed and water is necessary for shorn sheep.

When a full-day’s shearing is mustered the day before. Sheep shorn in the afternoon will be off feed 10 to 12 hours longer than those shorn early in the morning. Take extra care when handling a pregnant sheep.

Here is a fasting time guide:

  1. Pre-fasting 

By observing the below-mentioned guidelines you can help reduce temperament related problems, bloating and stress. Alleviating discomfort whilst shearing for the sheep results in improved productivity and lowers the risk of shearing for your livestock and staff. It means healthier and more profitable animals. 

• Do not drench sheep – 48 hours  prior to shearing.

• Eliminate the consumption of dry grains: wheat, canola, barley, oats, etc. – 48 hours prior to shearing.

• Eliminate growth hormones and reproductive supplements – 48 hours before shearing.

• Sheep should have light feed (grass or hay) and access to water during prefast.

• A sheep which travels a long distance will require rest, light feed and water – before the appropriate fasting.

  1. Rams 

Before shearing mobs of rams, farmers, contractors and shearing team members need to ensure there is enough support for the shearer in case help is needed or a ram gets free on the board. Rams that are sedated for shearing or crutching should be managed to prevent exposure, sunburn and smothering or drowning.

• Rams up to 80kg must be taken off food and water for no less than 24 hours and no more than 48 hours. 

• Rams condition score 3 or body weight over 80 kg should be taken off food and water for no less than 36 hours but no more than 48 hours. 

• Adult rams must be sedated, at least 20 minutes before shearing. 

  1. Heavy and aggressive sheep 

Big framed heavy and good condition sheep require a longer fasting period. Other breeds such as the Dohne and Pol Dorset etc. have aggressive behaviour tendencies and struggle less as a result of extended fasting times. 

• Wethers, ewes and hoggets with condition score 3 must be taken off food and water for no less than 36 hours but no more than 48 hours.

• Lambs should be taken off food and water for no less than 24 hours but no more than 36 hours before shearing.

• Poll Dorset ram hoggets, etc. must be taken off food and water for no less than 36 hours but no more than 48 hours and sedated – 20 minutes before shearing.

  1. Drought Affected Sheep

Sheep; affected by drought, undernourished, score 2 or less. Special care should be taken with these sheep – fast for no less than 12 hours but no more than 30 hours.

  1. Recommendations

  1. For ewes

According to scientific trails, a full ewe’s gut contents can make up over 20 percent of its body weight, (around 15 kg for a ewe weighing 75 kg), adding an extra 2 - 5 tonne to the weight of sheep a shearer must catch, drag and handle on the shearing board each day. If ewes are large-framed and in good condition and/or if ewes are shorn in late pregnancy when the conceptus can weigh around 10 kg, full sheep make an already demanding task even harder. 

Full ewes have a high rate of defecation and urination, resulting in slippery conditions in catching pens and on the shearing board. Such conditions increase the risk of injury to woolshed staff. Increased urination may also increase the likelihood of shearers and others contracting leptospirosis through urine splashing on uncovered cuts and scratches. 

Veterinarians note that metabolic diseases can be a problem in pregnant (especially multiple lamb-bearing) ewes that are held off feed, but this can occur at any time of the year that sheep are yarded for long periods. 

Metabolic diseases are not the only risk facing sheep during prolonged yarding. Such circumstances can precipitate clinical diseases such as Salmonellosis and can trigger reactions to Salmonella and Campylobacter vaccines. Ewes experiencing a post-vaccination reaction can lose their appetite, stagger, fall to the ground and suffer metabolic problems. Farmers are advised not to vaccinate empty sheep against Salmonellaor Campylobacter.

Although not supported by research, shearing industry experience suggests that fasting ewes that are offered water after an initial period without it drink large quantities and urinate more as a result. A ewe that is neither pregnant nor lactating should spend no less than 20 hours and no more than 32 hours off feed prior to shearing while a ewe that is shorn during early or mid-pregnancy should spend no less than 18 hours and no more than 30 hours off feed prior to shearing. A ewe that is shorn during late pregnancy or lactation should spend no less than 12 hours and no more than 24 hours off feed prior to shearing. 

  1. For hoggets 

Hoggets weigh less than adult ewes – from around 55 percent of mature live weight at seven months of age to around 85 percent of mature ewe live weight at 15 months of age.  It is because of this, additional weight due to gut fill in hoggets is of less significance to shearers than in mature sheep. But full hoggets can still experience stress and discomfort during shearing and like ewes, can cause slippery and unhygienic conditions in the woolshed. 

A hogget that is neither pregnant nor lactating must spend no less than 18 hours and no more than 30 hours off feed prior to shearing. This hogget should spend no less than 12 hours and no more than 24 hours without water prior to shearing. 

A hogget that is shorn during pregnancy or lactation should spend no less than 12 hours and no more than 24 hours off feed prior to shearing. This hogget must spend no less than 8 hours and no more than 20 hours without water prior to shearing. 

  1. For lambs 

Shearing lambs necessitates a period of feed and an associated temporary reduction in lamb growth rate. But this may be compensated by an increase in post-shearing appetite that ultimately results in temporarily enhanced live weight gain when lambs are put back on feed. 

Carcass weight reductions can occur in lambs that spend too long off feed prior to shearing. Different experiments show that 24 hours off feed causes a large reduction in the gut fill of lambs however, no loss of carcass weight. But fasting for more than 24 hours can cause carcass weight losses in lambs, even when they have access to water. Veterinarians note that prolonged yarding can predispose lambs to viral pneumonia. 

Prior to weaning, young lambs should spend no less than 6 hours and no more than 24 hours off feed prior to shearing. This lamb must spend no less than 6 hours and no more than 20 hours without water prior to shearing. 

A weaned lamb must spend no less than 12 hours and no more than 24 hours off feed before shearing. This lamb should spend no less than 8 hours and no more than 20 hours without water before shearing. 

  1. For wethers

Good condition adult wethers will  require fasting – no less than 18 hours and no more than 32 hours off feed prior to shearing. 

  1. Information, Education and Training 

Employees and the ones involved in shearing may face several issues while handling sheep. To eradicate, segregate and minimise those problems, employers should provide proper information, training and education to all employees.  

The training program must offer information about:

• Sheep handling principles.

• Handling sheep manually. 

• Working with ewes.

• Fasting time for lambs, ewes, hoggets before sharing, etc. 

  1. Legal responsibilities of persons involved in shearing

According to the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, there are legal responsibilities of employers and employees in the area of occupational health and safety. The act and duties are applicable to all employers and employees involved in shearing and associated activities, and workplaces where shearing and associated activities are carried out.

  1. Responsibilities of employers and contractors 

Employers have the general responsibility to offer a safe and secure working facility to employees. 

Along with that, employers must:

• Consult with the employee health and safety representative, as well as discuss all the proposed changes to the workplace, the plant or substances used at the workplace or the conduct of work at the workplace, which may affect the health and safety of any member of the designed workgroup. 

• Maintain plant and system of work, which is safe and without risks to health.

• Ensure the workplace is safe and without risks to health.

• Make sure that handling, storage and transport of machinery and substances are safe and without risks to health.

• Offer proper facilities for the welfare of employees.

• Give such information, instruction, training and supervision to employees to help them perform their work in a safe manner. 

The duties of an employer extend to an independent contractor and the employees of the independent contractor. 

  1. Responsibilities of employees 

An employee must:

• Take intense care of his own health and safety, and the health and safety of anyone else at the workplace.

• Cooperate with his or her employer with respect to any action taken by the employer to ensure health and safety. 

• Not interfere with or misuse anything provided in the interests of health safety or welfare. 

• Not place at risk the health or safety of any person at the workplace. 

  1. Implementation and review 

[Your Company Name]

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- will review and make changes to this policy and procedures as needed at a regular interval.

Date:

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Bibliography

[1] MWI 2002. Had a gut full? Sheep need to be empty at shearing – but just how empty? Meat & Wool Innovation, Summer 2002:25-26.

[2] Wallaart, J. 2002 pers.comm

[3] Regnault, W.R.; Elwin,M.; Wickham, C.A. 1992. Discolouration and fast fade. Wool 4: 2-4

[4] Kirton, A.H. 1964. Assessment of body composition in the live animal. Proceedings of the NZ Society of Animal Production 24: 77-78.

[5] Hungate, R.E.; Phillips, G.D.; McGregor, A.; Hungate, D.P.; Beuchner, H.K. 1959. Microbial fermentation in certain mammals. Science USA 130: 1192-1194.

[6] Boyne, A.W.; Campbell, R.M.; Davidson, J.; Cuthbertson, D.P. 1956. Changes in composition of digesta along the alimentary tract of sheep. British Journal of Nutrition 10: 325-333.

[7] The New Zealand Sheep Council, 1999. A guide to feed planning for sheep farmers, second edition: 48.

[8] Coop, I.E.; Clark, V.R.; Claro, D. 1972. Nutrition of the ewe in early lactation. 1. Lamb growth rate. NZ Journal of Agricultural Research 15: 203-208.

[9] Bray, A. 2003 pers. comm.

[10] Rachel, R. and Stuart, D. (2000). The World Today Archive - Study shows shearing is the toughest job. [online] Available at: https://www.abc.net.au/.

[11] ythes JR (1982) The saleyard curfew issue.Qld Agric J108, 274– 278

[12] James P. Hogan1, J. Carol Petherick and Clive J. C. Phillips. Centre for Animal Welfare and Ethics, School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, St Lucia 4072, Australia. Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Rockhampton, Australia The physiological and metabolic impacts on sheep and cattle of feed and water deprivation before and during transport

[13] Chaefer AL, Jones SDM & Stanley RW (1997) The use of electrolyte solutions for reducing transport stress. J AnimSci75, 258– 265.

[14] Etherick C, Holroyd RG & Swain AJ (2003) Performance of lot-fed Bos indicus steers exposed to aspects of a feed-lot environment before lot feeding. Aust J Exp Agric 43,1181– 1191.

[15] Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Sheep 2016.

[16] Northern Territory of Australia Animal Welfare Act 1999.

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Glossary

Duty of care: The Work Health and Safety Act 2011 provides a framework for protecting the health, safety and welfare of employees. Animals and stock are protected by the Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Sheep. There is a legal duty to take reasonable care not to cause harm to another person or animal.

Empty sheep: A sheep that has been given time to reduce the contents of its bladder, rumen and gastrointestinal tract to a point where its gut contents are less than 25 percent of maximum and its rate of urination and defecation is unlikely to cause significant soiling of yards, pens and other sheep.

Full sheep: A sheep that has not been adequately emptied out.

Off feed: Situation where a sheep’s feed intake is minimal (ie no more than 0.1 kg DM/day or 10 percent of maintenance needs). Time off feed prior to shearing includes the time sheep spend mobbed up during mustering, when feed intake is minimal. It should be noted that the recommendations made in this guideline refer to the minimum and maximum periods of time without feed and water prior to shearing for any individual sheep. 

Thus, a recommendation of 18 hours minimum and 30 hours maximum off feed means that the time from when sheep are mobbed up during mustering to when the first sheep in that mob is shorn should be no less than 18 hours, and the time from when sheep are mobbed up during mustering to when the last sheep in that mob is shorn should be no more than 30 hours.

Ewe: A female sheep that is greater than 15 months of age.

Early-pregnancy ewe: between days 1-50 of pregnancy.

Mid-pregnancy ewe: between days 50-100 of pregnancy.

Late-pregnancy ewe: between days 100-150 of pregnancy.

Hogget: A sheep that is 7 to 15 months of age.

Lamb: A young sheep up to 12 months old which has no permanent incisor teeth in wear will benefit from shearing with an increase of live weight gains.

Weather: Castrated male sheep.

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Disclaimer

This document is prepared based on various research materials and studies that are done prior, and we have taken proper care when using the information and verified every source before incorporating them into this document. But this document is prepared only to inform and educate people about the current situation in the shearing industry and what is our view regarding this. 

And so, it is declared not to consider this document as the final verdict. Shearquantity.com is not liable if any person, stock or property is harmed or injured, directly or indirectly while using this Fasting Policy for Sheep in any way.