Kangaroo Island Page 6

Shearing in the early 1900s was carried out in the shed that became the chaff shed. The main upright beam in the chaff shed has the original counter system for shearers, which was two lines of holes down each side of the post. One side was the tens counter the other side was the singles counter. When the shearer completed shearing sheep he would place a marker in the hole to show the number shorn. This marker, which was similar to a golf tee, was moved after every sheep. At the end of each 2 hour session the number was entered in to a tally book. This era was blade shearing.

  The transition from blade shearing in the early 1900s, to diesel powered engines for shearing plants, to the electric shearing plant has taken place over a 100 year journey. Originally the shed was designed for blade shearing.

  The move to diesel engine power was a significant move for the shearing industry. I recall the diesel powered engine that would be started up at 7.00am every shearing morning. This engine would sit at the end of the shearing stands and drive the main drive shaft that would in turn provide the power for the shearing handpiece. The shearer would activate the handpiece by pulling a cord which still happens today and 2 drive cones would connect to produce the power for the handpiece. This still occurs today, however the cones are driven by electric power. The exhaust fumes from the diesel engines would be siphoned out through the wall. . The support beams that this system operated on are still within the shearing shed today. The electric system certainly is much quieter than the diesel motor and far more energy efficient.

  The drive wheel is mounted on the support beam above the shearers. The diesel powered engine would generate energy to drive the wheel via a belt, that would then deliver power to the wheel, so that when the shearers cord was pulled it would force the cone to come into contact with the turning wheel, providing power to the shearer’s handpiece. This same beam today supports the electric system that drives the handpiece for shearing. A shearer’s back aid can also be seen in the above pictures. This is definitely back breaking work. There are some shearers on Kangaroo Island that have been shearing for more than 30 years. A ‘Hall of Fame’ for shearers has been set up on Kangaroo Island to acknowledge their commitment to this important industry. Shearing provides off farm income for farmers and has done so for generations.

  Yards were constructed to allow easy movement of sheep into the shed. Areas in the yards include a draft system to separate groups e.g. lambs from ewes and a race for drenching and lice control. There is also an area set aside for weighing lambs prior to sale. Lambs need to be at an average of 40-50kg live weight for the Australian market. The yards were upgraded with wooden panels in 2010, with the shearing shed also re-roofed in 2010.

  Drenching is the term given to worm control for sheep and cattle. This is carried out by using medicated products. Worm control is required twice per year or more depending on the season; once in the summer period and once post lambing for both ewes and lambs. Worms contaminate the pasture and when sheep graze low to the ground, especially during the winter, they ingest the worm larvae. Intestinal worms in sheep cause an excessive loss of production of both sheep and meat, due to a loss of appetite. Testing of the faeces by the local vet allows the worm numbers to be monitored throughout the season. Worm presence certainly increases in sheep during the winter as they are grazing low to the ground.

  A major influence on the sheep industry on Kangaroo Island and southern Australia is OJD (Ovine Johnes Disease). This is an incurable, infectious wasting disease of sheep that can result is economic loss on infected farms due to sheep deaths and loss of production in meat, lambs and wool. This disease is caused by bacteria, that reduces absorption of nutrients from the intestine, eventually resulting in loss of condition. The bacteria is passed in the manure of infected animals, contaminating pasture and spreads infection to susceptible animals. A vaccine is now available for this disease, however restrictions exist on how sheep are traded especially from infected properties.

  Sheep lice have caused extensive loss of production and have cost the sheep industry financially over the years. Lice are blood sucking insects that cause major irritation to sheep. Sheep with lice will rub on fences and trees due to the irritation. In doing this the wool is damaged and thus the nutrition of the sheep is impacted due to a loss of appetite. The important issues with lice control are good fences, managing the stock that are bought onto the property and a program of chemical application if required.

  Lice management is carried out post shearing with insecticide treatments applied to the back of the sheep. These chemicals, over time, will cover and protect the sheep from the infestation of lice and also blowfly attacks. This application post shearing enables easy skin applications where the lice are found.

  In the early days plunge dips and shower dips were used to provide lice control. These processes were time consuming and extremely hard work. The original spray dip used in the early 1900s is still present near the implement shed, as the picture below shows. Sheep were loaded into this dip one by one. I think that if you ever had a goal of losing your sense of humour this would be the job to achieve that very goal.

  Plunge dips were used extensively in the past and the plunge dip of the early days still exists near the implement shed as seen in this photograph. This plunge dip was only 5-6 metres long so the sheep were forced into the deep end of the small dip and then they would walk out up the inclined step.

  This involved moving shorn sheep through a concreted race in the ground that was full of water and insecticide. This was carried out about a week after shearing to allow any shearing cuts to heal. The sheep would swim through the bath getting treated as they moved through. The plunge dip was approximately 8 metres long.

  Over time the plunge dip changed in length and allowed for quicker and more efficient treatment of sheep.

  From the plunge dip the industry moved to the spray dip, which still exists near the shearing shed today.

  Efficient dipping exists today allowing more sheep to be treated in shorter time periods. Technology has advanced considerably and along with this farms have become larger.

  Crutching is carried out twice a year. This process involves shearers removing the wool around the breach area of the sheep. By completing this process just prior to shearing in October makes the process of classing and wool handling much more efficient and prevents stained wool from contaminating the main fleece wool from the sheep. This process is carried out in March/April just prior to lambing to prevent flystrike.

  It takes, on average, a shearer 3-5 minutes to shear a sheep. Shearing requires tremendous skill and hard work. The shearing shed has 3 stands for shearing with (on average) 500 sheep being shorn in 1 day. This equates to more than 3000kgs of wool. Shearing at Stranraer is completed in early October to ensure that the wool is not contaminated by grass seeds but allows the ewe enough time to become more conditioned prior to the summer period.

  A shearing day starts at 7.30am and concludes at 5.30pm. Shearers will shear for 2 hour intervals with a 1 hour break for lunch. Years ago, the shearers were provided with meals by the property owner but with the development of contract teams meals are no longer supplied and form part of the cost of the shearing process. I remember coming home from school and racing to the shearing shed to search the lunch and afternoon basket to see if any chocolate cakes were left.

  The average shearer would shear approximately 160-220 sheep per day. I have certainly seen more than this done in one day. It depends on the quality of sheep, the season and the breed. Crossbreds are easier to shear than merinos due to the lack of wrinkles and the time taken to shear wool from the legs of a crossbred is much less. Some crossbred ewes have been known to have no belly wool, which also reduces the shearing time.

  The shearer would shear the sheep and allow the sheep to move through an opening in the shed wall to a pen called ‘the let out pen.’ At the end of every 2 hour session the shorn sheep were counted and the tally written in the shearer tally book. This is the job of the owner or the shedhand. At the
end of the day, the total number shorn for the day would be tallied and recorded. At the end of shearing, which in most cases for Stranraer, with 3 shearers would last for 8 days weather permitting, totals are determined and the shearer is paid an amount per sheep. This amount has changed over the years.

  The main shearing season for Kangaroo Island and the southern part of Australia is September to March. Spring shearing being the most common, just prior to seed set of most plants. This prevents wool contamination from vegetation and seeds. If you are touring Kangaroo island in the spring, then there is a high chance that if you pull into a shearing shed, shearing will be underway.

  Wool quality is measured in microns. A micron measurement is the distance between the crimps of the fibres. The shorter the distance between the crimps the lower the micron and thus, the finer the wool. As an example, an 18 micron fleece is a lower micron wool than a 28 micron wool. The micron count will determine where the wool can be used. Finer micron wool is used for clothing production and commands more money in the marketplace.

  Crossbred wool, 28-30 µm used for things other than fine garments due to the coarse nature of the wool. This type of wool is used for carpets.

  The micron is the measurement of the crimp distance; wool from crossbred sheep has a wider crimp (micron) than that found in merino wool.

  The people that are employed in the shed include the shearers, shedhands and wool classer. The shedhands are required to keep the boards clean and to ensure that all pens have sheep for the shearer to catch. These pens are known as the catching pens.

  Shedhands remove the wool from the floor near the shearer, place the wool on the table and the classer will remove any wool that is stained or any wool with imperfections. The wool is graded and placed into the appropriate bale.

  Technology changes in the shearing shed include the development of the wide comb hand piece, electric wool presses and the spinning wool table. The spinning wool table sounds simple, but this changed the efficiency of skirting the fleece. Skirting the fleece refers to placing the fleece on the table and removing any imperfections or stained wool before it is assessed buy the wool classer.

  The wool is placed into nylon wool packs, which is pressed into bales that are 200kg in weight. These bales are then branded with the appropriate information such as the wool classer, property name and the quality of wool within the bale.

  The bales are sent to the wool store in Adelaide, a core sample is taken from each bale which is tested and the description written. The wool is then presented in Lots as can be seen in the above table. This allows the buyers to assess the wool and offer pricing. All bales have a description that is branded on the bale, as can be seen in the above table. AAAM wool is the premium wool with a premium price. AAAFX is the crossbred wool which is a coarser with a higher micron and does not command a higher price due to its quality and uses. The more AAAM Stranraer can produce the greater the income. Genetic selection, feeding management and nutrition all assist in the calendar year to achieve this with the merino flock. 80% of the Australian wool produced is sourced by Chinese wool mills for garment production.

  In regards to branding, stencils are used to brand the bales. An ink brush applies the black ink to the bale. Merino wool is branded AAAM, this is the highest quality wool. The more AAAM bales the higher the returns. This is the premium wool for Stranraer. In the shearing process various parts of the sheep have varying wool quality. The belly or underneath wool on a sheep, comes into contact with seed and soil, is of poor quality and is often short wool. This is the first part of the fleece that a shearer will remove in the shearing process. This is called belly wool and is branded BLS for bellies. This wool is not used for garments and will not command a premium price. Shearing would generate approximately 5 bales of bellies.

  When the shearer completes shearing a sheep and the shed hand collects the fleece, the small pieces of wool left behind is what we regards as Locks. This is branded LKS. Once again this wool is short and used for other purposes and does not command a premium price. LKS would make up 2-3 bales every shearing.

  Now that the shedhand has placed the wool on the table, the wool is what we call ‘skirted’ by the shedhand and the wool classer. Skirting is removing any stained or shorter wool and placing it in another wool bin. This wool is branded PCS, known as pieces. PCS for the shearing account for 4-5 bales. For every bale of PCS there would be 12 bales of AAAM in regards to merino wool. The wool classer will then assess the fleece in regards to micron and strength. The strength is tested by placing a staple of wool between the fingers and stretching, if the wool staple breaks, the wool is regarded as tender and will not be placed in the main AAAM line of wool. Tender wool is not suited for quality garment manufacture. The staple must be of a certain length also.

  In assessing the micron of the wool, remember the difference between crossbred and merino wool. The micron is a crimp measurement. Merino wool has a finer micron than the crossbred. Merino sheep also have the ability to have higher micron wool and these fleeces need to be placed into another wool category. A BBB branded bale is for wool that is of a higher micron than the main fleece. Once again this wool is used for other purposes, not garment production.

  Prior to the electric press, the ajax wool press was the main method of pressing wool. This press was metal with a ratchet on each side of the press that would attach to a metal clamp known as a ‘monkey.’ The ratchet would be operated by 1 or 2 people. The metal clamp, ‘monkey,’ would ratchet down onto the wool until tight. The operator would then place three metal pins into the wool pack to hold the pressed wool in position. The ratchet would then be released and the ‘monkey’ taken out of the top of the wool pack. Wool would then be continually placed in the pack until the bale reached the desired weight. These wool presses are used in sheds today but for smaller lines of wool. The main pressing of fleece wool is carried out with the electronic wool press with a hydraulic ram, operated by a switch at the flick of a finger. The wool presses of today have built-in weigh systems that accurately weigh bales to the required maximum of 204kg.

  The development of the wool press has revolutionised the efficiency of packaging wool. In the early 1900s wool was packed into hessian wool packs by placing the pack into a wooden press and pressing it manually.

  Bales that weigh in excess of this weight attract fines for the grower as the manufacturing process requires certain weights for further shipping and management.

  The Ajax press certainly keeps you fit. I could not imagine pressing 80-100 bales in this fashion.

  Wool bales are then loaded onto semi-trailers and transported to Adelaide, via the Sealink.

  Archie Lovering, Local MacGillivray transport , with Robert and Eric, often transported wool from Stranraer to Kingscote for sea travel to Port Adelaide. Port Adelaide was the major wool selling centre for South Australia, photograph, 1940

  Wool is graded according to its quality. Merino wool is of a better quality than crossbred wool, thus merino wool is used to produce clothing, while the coarser crossbred wool is used in the production of products like carpets.

  Shearing time over the years at Stranraer has occurred in October. This timing reduces the damage caused by the Australian blowfly and reduces contamination of the wool over the summer period. To allow the sheep to go through the summer period in their wool, would create problems with grass seeds, fly strike and heat stress.

  On average, the property runs 3500 breeding ewes that would cut 5.5-7kg per head of wool. Stranraer produces between 80-100 bales of wool annually. Based on these figures, over 3 million sheep have been through the Stranraer shearing shed for shearing in the 100 years of operation.

  These days the wool is placed onto a trailer and trucked to Adelaide via Sealink to be auctioned. The wool classer will document all bales and a description of the wool within. This is listed in the wool book and the classer is responsible for this written description and acknowledgment of the wool within each bale.

  I
n years gone by with the number of shearers in the district the ability to find shearers was relatively easy however, with the changes in agriculture the shearing is now completed by shearing teams that move from area to area.

  The wool industry has gone through several changes and challenges over the years. The wool industry was a major economic driver for Australia in the 50s, 60s and 70s. With the introduction of other fibres for clothing such as cotton, synthetic fibres and mohair, wool faced losing a market share. The government of the day in 1974 set up a Reserve Floor Price for wool. This was to ensure that wool growers in Australia were insulated from competition and to ensure viability. This scheme was removed in the early 1990s resulting in wool being exposed to supply and demand versus other fibres. This resulted in wool growers being challenged financially as the demand for wool waned. As a result of this supply and demand on wool production, supply far outweighed the demand forcing the government to introduce the Flock Reduction Scheme.

  Wool growers were paid to reduce their sheep numbers to ensure wool production was brought back to a realistic level. Sheep during the early 1990’s did not have any value and the program of Flock Reduction was demoralising for farmers. This forced some wool growers to leave the industry while others changed their farming practices and implemented cropping to ensure viability. This period also saw high interest rates and the rise of input costs which forced many from the industry. In the early 1900s sheep numbers were around 70 million in Australia, climbing to 180 million at the peak of the wool industry, then declining to around 100 million early in the twenty-first century Sheep numbers today are around 80 million.