Sheep Shearing Procedures

Shearing is a dangerous occupation. Shearers sustain a variety of injuries. Sprains and strains, slips, stumbles, and falls, exposure to noise, dust, and chemicals, and animal injuries and infections can all result in these ailments.

With the shearing season in full swing, farmers and contractors are being urged to preserve industry standards by following the National Sheep Association's rules to ensure sheep are handled safely, preventing stress and injury throughout the process.

Precautions for Sheep Shearing:

  • Shearing cutters and combs should be sharp, and they should be cleaned, resharpened, and oiled after each shearing process.
  • To protect yourself against handpiece damage, use a shearing glove on the non-shearing hand.
  • The shearing floor should be clear of straw and chaff. After each shearing, it should be cleaned free of second cuts and manure dags.
  • Keep the shearer's electric cable behind you so it cannot be severed when using an electric handpiece, preventing electric shock.
  • The sheep must be dry before being shorn. Wet wool has a tendency to heat up and discolor.
  • Use particular caution while shearing near the udder, scrotum, sheath, loose flank skin, and hamstring.
  • Never attempt to pull the unshorn fleece with your left hand. This elevates the skin, which will be sliced during shearing. Instead, stretch the skin away from the shearing using your left hand.
  • Do not rush through the shearing operation to boost speed.

Sheep Shearing Techniques:

  • The sheep must be handled appropriately and in a comfortable position during shearing to prevent them from struggling. Most shearers employ the approach, in which the sheep are maintained securely between the shearer's legs.
  • Belly wool, leg wool, and Dave have a lower value and should be kept apart from the higher-quality wool from the back, neck, and sides.
  • The skin should be stretched so that it is smooth in the shorn region.
  • Wool fibres should be cut just once adjacent to the skin to avoid "second cuts" or short fibres of low value.
  • The fleece should be removed in one piece so that it will stay together when rolled or tied.
  • To prevent contamination, the fleece should only be knotted using paper wool twine.

Speed is crucial, but so is the appearance of the shorn sheep and the condition of the fleece. A skilled shearer can shear a sheep in 3 minutes or less, which equates to around 180 sheep each day. Protect newly shorn sheep from the cold and rain until they have had time to regenerate some wool cover.