EARLY SHEARING EXPERIMENT

Chronicle (Levin), 24 July 1946, Page 3

EARLY SHEARING EXPERIMENT

FINDINGS OF INTEREST TO INDUSTRY Of inlerosl t > .siici'p tunnel* arc Ihe | elaim.s tliat liuve l>een advuiieed Joi'j Ihe suceess oi' .shearing Iloeks prior toj iambiiig in eei tiuu paris oi Olago, j vhero climatic conditions vary Irom Ihe cold daniji eliaracterist ic oi a 40-; jnch rainfall to ihe extrcrne dry cokl j of up lo ."10-degree i'losts. The sonthern farmers arc seeking toj coinbat Ihe "break"' in the wool iibroj wliich occurs most frequently in breed-j iug ewes uL periods eoiueiding with tliej late winter season and lambiug. It is, lie.ld that the late shearing in .Xoveni- ; ber and Decciuber places the break higli jh llio staple, thus produeing a wool i l-egLwdod bv the manufacturers as ; "temlei"' ' or "sliowing a break in thej staple," thereby Jimiting its use aadj iedueing the value oi the clip. Oue. estiinate of Ihe 1 oss to the sheep intliis-{ try over recent years is £1,000,01)0, due: to the presence oi' "breaks" in tliej wool libre. As far as can be ascertaiued theroj lias never been any atteuipt in tliej jManawatu and Ilawke's Bay lo sliear sheep in a pregnant eondition. Furthermore, by those awart of Ihe research iiow being eouducted in soulliern flocks at tlie instigation of the Wool 1M etrology Laboratory it is said tliat conceiitration on pasture nianagenient and adequate feeding will eliiniiiale tlie elieek to the growth of wool tliat is manifested in the "break" in Ihe . staple. On the otlier liand, the lindings' of the southern experiment arc of much interesl. ; A preliuiinary survey of Ihe prnctice

of early shearing ' in Otago revoals tliat It) projicrtii's were inspected, Ihe properlies eoinprisiug liill-country land lightly stocked with liaJf-breed sheep with a !'() per ceni. or lower iaiubing and heavier land earryiug as many as six b'ornneys to the acre, with lainbing percentages as higli as 145 per eent. The general opiuum of tlie owners was tliat jio hariu resulted i'rom shearing imuiediately prior to lambing. Lanibing percentages wero unaltered, it being claimed that Josses wore aetuallv reduced through tlie ewes rcniaining with the lainbs in broken weather. The fanners agreed tliat less attcutiou and labour were required for tlie lainbing period and there was no eridence wlialever tliul Lhe htindling of tlie ewes late in pregnancv was det rimental. yince ihe shorn ewes did not becomo easl, less shepherding was required during lambing, and as a resull, on liill country prop(|rties in particular inisniothering was reduced. Siinilarly, tlie absence of a imister and separation of the lainbs at shearing tirne favoured the growth of Ihe lainbs while there was no clieck in tho lactation at a critical period. As to the effeet on the fleoee, reliablo data is lacking, but it is claimed that there was a total absence of breaks and cotts arising from the early shearing. It is said tliat Ihe Vool was more attractive in appearaneei and the estimatcd yield was reputed to be higher tinui in the later shorn clips. Fleece weights reniained unchangcd after tlie Jirst season when 10 nionths ' wool only is shorn. In a few inslanees, an inerease in price per pound was recorded and the appraisers reniaxked that the wool was suitabe for speeialty lines. Prices niade available from a high altitude propertv carrving 1700 sheep showed an inerease from 14d to