Short wools need careful shearing

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 4, Issue 34, 10 February 1987, Page 10

Short wools need careful shearing

"Careful shearing is needed to ensure shorter wools are not devalued by second cuts," warns the Wool Board's Field Superintendent, Mr R. I. (Robin) Kidd. "The shorter the wool, the more significant is any loss through second cuts. When the average length of second shears gets below 80mm (or 3 inches) the price falls sharply," he says. "Care is even more important in the Merino wools, and many shearers will later be among the Merinos in the South Island or Australia." "The second shear is an excellent opportunity to practise keeping the bottom tooth down. A second cut in Merinos can divide the staple almost in half, at great expense to the woolgrower." It is not only the wool that

suffers with rough shearing. Mr Kidd says skin cuts are the main reason for downgrading or rejecting pelts. "The prime cause is insufficient lead that is setting the cutter too close to the tips of the comb," he says. "If a shearer is consistently cutting a sheep in a particular spot, he should ask himself why. It is unlikely to be the sheep's fault." Mr Kidd, who has been shearing 30 years, says performance today is better than it has ever been, even though many shearers now average more than 300 sheep a day. "The shearing competitions demand a very high standard and to be competitive, your work in the shed has to reflect that," he says. "If you have one or two setting an example, it rubs off

on the others." But conversely, he adds, the performance of today's top shearers presents a tough challenge to younger shearers and some are doing rough work trying to keep up. If that is not stopped, it can affect the performance of an entire gang. "Every Wool Board instructor has been confronted at some time by an irate farmer complaining about workmanship in the shed!" says Mr Kidd. "The

Wool Board has always been a stickler for quality but we cannot watch everyone. The question is: 'Who allowed that standard of work to occur?' " "The grower who turns a blind eye loses the respect not only of the rough shearer but the good ones too." "Everyone works better, and more happily, for those who are firm and reasonable in setting standards."