How do farmers in New Zealand shear 25,000 sheep in 10 days?

The 1950s was considered a golden era for farmers in New Zealand. This was the time when wool was like gold and by producing one clip of wool sheep farmers can pay off their entire land in New Zealand. Indeed, it was New Zealand’s biggest source of income.

However, with the rise in demand for synthetic fabrics, a trade war with China, and the recent COVID-19 pandemic, the value of wool dropped down. The price of a sheep flock that was around 70 million in those days has now reached 22 million. However, to save the wool industry and to fight back against the economical hurdle, the farmers of New Zealand are still working harder.  

Let’s understand how farmers like Andrew and Meredith shear 25000 sheep in 10 days.

Shearing a huge flock of sheep is quite challenging. It requires enough effort and a lot of time, and hence a gang of shearers is appointed for the job.

Sheep shearing process

Shearers on horseback with the help of Heading Dogs and Huntaways gather around 3600 sheep at a time. The Heading dogs take the flock of sheep in the right direction while the Huntaways bark and let the sheep move forward. A whistle command is enough to perform the job.

The flock of sheep is then divided into multiple groups – lambs or babies, adult ewes, and female sheep. Ewes' wool is coarser and harder and so is used to manufacture carpets and rugs. Lamb's wool is softer and more comfortable and so is used for making blankets and clothes.

Shearers are experts in taming sheep. They work for long hours in the heat wrestling with livestock and making the sheep ready for the cut. They use a cutter-like tool that requires sharpening every 15 minutes and get a clean shave on the sheep. Usually, they shear over 300 sheep in a day and finally gather the fleece and squish it into huge bales.  

This is how a team of good shearers shear 25000 sheep in 10 days.

Shearing sheep is getting too expensive these days. This is the reason why many farmers are breeding sheep that can shed their own wool instead of seeking the help of a shearer. However, you can't even ignore the fact that shearing is still required regardless of the purpose you need the wool.

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