Money in Crutchings Says Wool Board

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 5, Issue 2, 9 June 1987, Page 12

Money in Crutchings Says Wool Board

Well grown and well prepared crutchings can fetch close to second shear prices, but it is a mistake to make crutching pay for itself by taking off more wool than necessary. "Woolgrowers think crutching is just a thing you do for the sheep; you tear everything off and throw it in a bale. That's not so at all" says Mr Blair McRae, Wool Manager for UEB Wool Processing Ltd, and a leading wool buyer. Crutchings are resilient, bulky wools and an important component in the carpet blends he makes up. Because of the growth of second shearing, good length crutchings have become scarce, he says. If

they are of good colour and well prepared, they will meet a strong demand. "It is practically impossible to sort them after they have been packed. The place to do that is on the board. It is a simple job there and the grower will be well rewarded." The Wool Board advises treating crutchings like second shear. The dags, stains and eye clips should be cleared away on the board and put in separate fadges. The short and discoloured wool should be taken out at second crutchings and the main line heaped on the floor. The presser should maintain a permanent stack of at least one bale, and this should be turned over and checked to maintain

uniformity and to pick out discoloured pieces. If belly wool is also taken, its treatment depends in part on the size of the clip. If it is large, bellies should be separated. If a half belly has been taken or the clip is smaller, the belly wool may be blended with the crutchings, provided it is not markedly different in length and colour. (Generally the colour of belly wool is inferior to crutchings.) Tup and fly crutchings are also a valued wool, used in hard twist carpet constructions. Mr McRae's plea is that growers should at least keep the dags out of them. Over-crutching is a common fault, according to Wool Board field officers. The purpose of crutching is to remove the dags and to clear the udder to help the lamb drink and only the necessary wool should be removed. If fleece wool is taken it sells at crutchings prices and when main shearing comes, the same area produces only second pieces or locks. It is in the grower's financial interest to keep the area crutched to a minimum. Shearers should also be discouraged from fantailing - that is tapering off the shorn area. This simply cuts good fleece wool in half, for none other than cosmetic reasons. The Wool Board's shearing instructors add a final note: no amount of over-crutching in winter is going to avert the need for dagging before main shear.