Twice the potential
from twice the
shearing
Once or twice: During 2010, Dr Fred
Wilkinson compared shearing three groups
of ewes once or twice a year. The twiceyearly shorn sheep, including these 5/8
Merino 3/8 Finn ewes, produced more
wool of a higher value than their annually
shorn counterparts.
As wool producers continue to build their flocks on better seasons and wool prices, there is growing
interest in the potential benefits of shearing every six months. Pamela Lawson looks at the results
from a Western Australian trial comparing different breeds being shorn traditionally — or twice a year
T
At a glance...
▸▸Trials in WA showed sheep shorn
twice a year produce more wool
at a higher percentage value
than annually shorn sheep,
resulting in more profit
▸▸Twice-yearly shearing also produces
stronger wool of a combined longer
length than annual shearing
▸▸Fibre diameter was finer in
sheep shorn in autumn than
spring, and spring shearing
produced the whitest wool
▸▸Shorter wool is quicker to shear
and makes skirting, classing
and shed work easier
72
Farming Ahead July 2012 No. 246
oo much fibre length convinced
former Department of Agriculture
and Food Western Australia
researcher Dr Fred Wilkinson to try
shearing his Merino-Finn cross ewe flock
twice a year.
Under his traditional shearing program
his fleece wool was consistently more
than 100mm, much more than the
market wanted.
So in 2005 he made the change and
was so encouraged by the positive
production results from the change in
November 2009 he did a breed
comparison trial to compare shearings in
flocks of pure Merinos, 3/8 Finn – 5/8
Merinos and 3/4 Finn – 1/4 Merinos.
According to Fred these trials showed
twice-a-year shearing produced more wool
(especially fleece wool) and fewer pieces.
“The wool was also stronger, longer (as
a combined length) and whiter than wool
from annual shearing, which is very
encouraging for producers looking to
change shearing from once to twice a
year,” he said.
Trial details
Each trial flock was 50-head of 2008-born
ewes which had run together since
January 2009.
After the November 2009 shearing, the
ewes were paired according to greasy
fleece weight and then allocated to either
once-a-year shearing in November or
twice-a-year shearing in May and
November.
This made six groups: Merinos one
shearing (1X), Merinos two shearings
(2X), 3/8 Finn one shearing (1X), 3/8 Finn
two shearings (2X), 3/4 Finn one shearing
(1X) and 3/4 Finn two shearing (2X).
“At shearing in May and November
2010, composite wool samples and midside samples were taken for testing,”
Fred said.
“The mid-side samples were also
assessed for colour as per the Australian
Wool Innovation visual sheep scores
guide, where score 1 is bright white and
score 5 is bright yellow.”
At the November shearing, the time
taken to shear sheep with six and 12
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Photo: Fred Wilkinson
| Wool Sheep management
Sheep management wool |
The increase in locks
in the twice-yearly
shorn flocks was
due to the fleece not
hanging together and
the parted wool falling
when being taken to, or
placed on, the table.”
months wool was also recorded, by
measuring in seconds the time from the
shearer lifting the handpiece to putting
it down.
Telling results
The one-year trial showed an increase in
the annual weight of wool shorn from all
three twice-yearly shorn flocks compared
to the once-yearly shorn flocks.
The Merinos shorn in May and
November produced 0.41kg or 9 per cent
more wool than their annually-shorn
counterparts, while the increases were
less in the crossbred flocks at 0.24kg for
3/8 Finn flock and 0.16kg for the 3/4 Finn
flock shorn twice yearly (see Table 1).
“A more important finding was the
larger increase in the percentage of
valuable fleece wool of 18 per cent,
11 per cent and 5 per cent respectively
with twice yearly shearing and the
corresponding decrease in the less
valuable pieces,” Fred said.
“The increase in locks in the twiceyearly shorn flocks was due to the fleece
not hanging together and the parted wool
falling when being taken to, or placed on,
the table.”
Quality, length and strength
The autumn (May) shearing resulted in
finer wool than when the same sheep
were shorn in November, and when
compared to the sheep only shorn in
November (see Table 2).
The annual wool length was increased
by shearing twice yearly, with the
combined length of the two shearings
being 16 per cent, 18 per cent and 20 per
cent longer for the Merinos, 3/8 Finns
and 3/4 Finns respectively, compared to
the length from once-yearly shearing.
“The greatest difference between
shearings was in wool strength, with the
twice-yearly shearing resulting in wool
nearly the double the strength of onceyearly shorn wool,” he said.
“Wool from traditionally-shorn Western
Australian flocks often becomes tender in
autumn, with breaks in fibre occurring
from March to May, decreasing its value.
“The twice yearly shearing also
produced much whiter wool (see Table 3)
in November, improving the value of
these fleeces.”
Time trials
Table 4 shows the shorter-wool sheep were
not surprisingly quicker to shear than the
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Table 1 The average weight of fleece wool, pieces, bellies and locks and total wool
shorn from 1X and 2X Merino, ⅜ Finn and ¾ Finn flocks
Flock
Merino
⅜ Merino
¾ Finn
1X
2X
1X
2X
1X
2X
Fleece (kg)
3.75
4.41
3.39
3.76
2.66
2.80
Pieces (kg)
0.39
0.09
0.31
0.14
0.14
0.10
Bellies (kg)
0.26
0.25
0.28
0.27
0.09
0.12
Locks (kg)
0.11
0.17
0.05
0.10
0.05
0.08
Total (kg)
4.51
4.92
4.03
4.27
2.94
3.10
Table 2 The micron, length, strength and vegetable matter from Merino, ⅜ Finn and
¾ Finn flocks shorn 1X or 2X per year
Flock
Merino
1X
Nov
Micron (µm)
⅜ Finn
2X
1X
May
18
17
Nov
19
22
¾ Finn
2X
1X
May
21
2X
Nov
23
22
May
21
23
Length (mm)
97
58
55
105
61
63
100
60
60
Strength
(Nktex)
32
58
50
23
58
49
17
58
39
Veg. Matter (%)
0.8
0.4
0.8
1.2
0.5
0.9
1.3
0.9
0.6
Table 3 The percentage of sheep with wool in colourscores of 1 to 3 for flocks shorn
1X or 2X per year
Wool colour score
1
2
3
1X (%)
0
56
44
2X May (%)
20
80
0
2X November (%)
35
65
0
Table 4 The average time in seconds to shear sheep with 12 months and 6 months
wool in November together with maximum and minimum times in the 3 flocks
Flock
Merino
⅜ Finn
¾ Finn
Wool growth period (months)
12
6
12
6
12
6
Average time (s)
180
154
154
140
100
96
Maximum time (s)
233
203
210
236
125
121
Minimum time (s)
139
103
104
91
63
64
annually-shorn sheep, and the Merinos
were slower to shear than Finn-cross
animals which have clean legs and faces.
“The twice-yearly shearing also saves
time by being easier to skirt, as they
generally just need dags and stains
removed,” Fred added.
“Classing this wool is also easier as
tender and coloured fleeces are rare, so
almost all the fleeces can be baled in the
top fleece line.”
Overall results
Fred is confident the differences in these
trials could be used to predict the effect
of changing a Merino flock from annual
to twice-yearly shearing.
“There would be about 10 per cent
more wool, with an extra 20 per cent
fleece wool,” he said.
“The length would increase by about
20 per cent, so 100mm produced
annually would change to 60mm
produced twice a year.
“However, producers should consult
with their wool broker as to when any
penalties for short or long wool kick in, to
ensure the wool cut every six month will
not be unduly penalised.
“From our trial results, the strength of
wool cut every six months could be nearly
double annually shorn wool, and the
micron at the autumn shearing would be
two less than the spring shearing and one
less than the annual shearing.”
Acknowledgements
Harry Williams, the Wilkinson family
and John Stanton. Contact ▶ Dr Fred Wilkinson
(08) 9453 3554
Sunpick@Highway1.com.au
No. 246 July 2012 Farming Ahead
73
Photo: Rural Press
| Wool sheep management case studies
Case study
Production proof: Mark, Dianne, Geoff and
Andrew Peters with a race of 2010-drop
ewes that were entered in the 2012 Peppin
Shaw Riverina Ewe Flock Competition.
The ewes were three weeks off shears,
weighing 77 kilograms on average and won
the best short wool entry.
Farm inform ation
Biannual shearing
pays dividends
Property owners
Mark, Dianne, Geoff and Andrew Peters
Location
Hillston, NSW
Property size
30,000ha
Annual rainfall
320mm
Enterpris es
Beef cattle, cereal cropping , stud and
commerc ial Poll Merinos
Geoff and Dianne Peters and their twin sons Andrew and Mark run a
mixed farming business near Hillston in south-western NSW
Geoff and Dianne Peters and their twin
sons Andrew and Mark run a mixed farming
business near Hillston in south-western NSW.
Their properties total about 30,000ha in a
region which can expect an average annual
rainfall of 320mm.
In addition to beef cattle and cereal cropping,
the Peters run 8000 Poll Merino sheep and
lambs and 5000 ewes, which form the base
flock for the Ballatherie Poll Merino stud.
Time for change
The Peters had traditionally crutched their
21.5 micron flock in early February each year,
before shearing from mid-July right through
to mid-August.
But after receiving wool price discounts for
long staple length, and after talking to their
shearing contractor about the problems
associated with handling full wool sheep, in
2011 the Peters decided to try shearing twice
a year, in mid-January and mid-July.
“We had read in the media about wool
producers seeing many benefits from sixmonthly shearing in climates similar to ours,”
Geoff said.
74
Farming Ahead July 2012 No. 246
“Another incentive for us to change was that
our management didn’t need to change
remarkably, as we were now just shearing in
January instead of crutching in February.”
Many benefits
In addition to avoiding the price discounts for
long staple length and the easier handling of
shorter-wool sheep at shearing, the Peters
have seen many benefits from switching to
six-monthly shearing.
“We have seen an increase in annual wool
production of two kilograms per head from
shearing twice a year, but the seasons have
been exceptional so this may decrease in the
future,” Geoff said.
”Two shearings has not only improved cash
flow, but also allowed us to spread our
marketing risks,” he said.
“We sell through a broker, who manages the
sale of our wool according to market trends,
selling different lines when the market is
optimal.
“We have also seen increased growth rates
in the sheep, particularly the weaners, which
in turn has resulted in better lambing and
weaning percentages and better prices for
cull animals.
“Animal health has also improved as the lighter
fleece at lambing has minimised ewe and lamb
losses at this time and allowed us better lice
and fly control during high risk times of year.”
Making the switch
According to Geoff, changing to six-monthly
shearing for them was simply a matter of
shearing a second time instead of crutching in
winter.
“We looked at eight-monthly shearing but it
was impossible to fit it into our whole property
management schedule, considering lambing
in April, surplus sheep sales in September and
our cropping program,” Geoff said.
“We therefore changed all our sheep over to
six-monthly shearing and haven’t looked back,
experiencing no major problems so far.” Contact ▶ Geoff Peters
0428 678 136
ballatherie@bordernet.com.au
www.kondiningroup.com.au
sheep management case studies Wool |
Photo: Peta Kellock
Case study
Caption: to come////
Farm inform ation
Property owners
/////
Location
/////
Many benefits: By shearing every six
Property
size are avoiding the
months,
the Kellocks
//// discounts for long wool they were
150c/kg
previously
Annualreceiving,
rainfall while increasing
overall
/////wool and lamb production and
improving cash flow.
Case study
Title////
Farm inform ation
Property owners
Kellock family
Location
Keith and Farrell Flat, SA
Property size
1300ha and 1800ha
Annual rainfall
450mm
Enterpris es
/////
A South Australian
experience
Kicker/////
Enterpris es
Stud and commerc ial Poll Merinos,
irrigated lucerne, cereal cropping
The Kellock family runs a Poll Merino stud, featuring a 1100-head flock of stud ewes
on their 1300ha property at Keith in the upper south-east of South Australia
/////run
This flock is in addition to 800 commercial
Poll Merino ewes (plus 1000 replacements)
also run at Keith, and another 1700
commercial Poll Merino ewes (plus 800
replacements) run at their 1800ha Farrell Flat
property in the state's Mid North.
Each property receives an average rainfall of
450mm and is also used for irrigated lucerne
seed and winter cereal cropping.
Avoiding discounts
The Kellocks breed a type of Merino which
has long-stapled, free growing, white wool
with a micron of 20.5.
For many years they had traditionally shorn at
the Keith property in September and crutched
in April, while at the Farrell Flat property they
shore in April and crutched in October.
According to Stephen Kellock, the 12 months
of wool growth was getting to 120mm on
their breeding ewes and incurring a discount
of 150c/kg.
“We tried eight-month shearing at Farrell
Flat for two years but got caught trying to
shear before the lambs had been weaned,"
Stephen said.
"The logistics of eight-monthly shearing is
very difficult,” he said.
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“So in 2010, after speaking to other producers
who had been shearing every six months,
we bit the bullet and changed all our age
groups to six-monthly shearing.
“We now shear at Keith in September and
March each year, and at Farrell Flat in October
and April, with a pre-shearing stain crutch at
each property.”
A good fit
Stephen says six-monthly shearing is easier
to fit in with a breeding program than an
eight- or 10-month shearing program, because
crutching is simply replaced by shearing.
“Breeding ewes are also easier to keep in
forward condition, so they rear more lambs,”
he said.
“Once you get your head around the concept,
the management falls into place.
“The only problem we are incurring is the
length of the wool. We aim to grow staple
length of 70mm every six months as we need
to have above 60mm to avoid any discounts.”
Production changes
“We are cutting about an extra 0.25kg per
head per shearing,” Stephen said.
“Tensile strength has gone from about
32nkt to 50–60nkt. But our micron has also
increased by about 0.5 microns due to the
short wool length.”
Marketing options
The Kellocks currently sell their wool at
auction, due to the good wool prices at the
moment.
“From a budget point of view having two
wool clips in a year from each property
has made cashflow more even, taking into
account needing to pay for four shearings,”
Stephen said.
“Through our broker we are monitoring any
potential discounts on length, which have
not been incurred so far.
"In the future we will be investigating the
option of selling direct to mills with the
support of our broker.” Contact ▶ Stephen Kellock
In addition to higher lambing and weaning
0427 438 138
percentages, the Kellocks have seen other Contact ▶ emuflat.kelvale@bigpond.com
Name
production improvements from six-monthly
0000 000
000
www.kelvalepollmerinos.com.au
shearing.
name.name@company.com.au
www.company.com.au
No. 246 July 2012 Farming Ahead
75