Will The Sound Of Shears In The Shed Be A Thing Of The Past



The farming industry has taken major steps forward with cleanskin 'easy care', or fleeceless sheep. Extremely easy care posses a superb lambing ration of 180%, are hardy, thrive on inexpensive feed and produce quality meat.

Due to a shortage of shearers, alongside high lamb prices, has nudged an increasing number of sheep farmers to adopt the easy care sheep, which lose all, or part of their wool naturally.

Lou Mawson, organizer of the International Cleanskin Sheep Symposium, says "The demand for the dorpers (cleanskin breed) is far outstripping supply".

The local industry rose to a new level with the introduction of the South African breeds. More than a dozen easy care breeds, or composites, are now part of the Australian national flock.

Changing over proved both time consuming and costly, but farmers like Jamie McTaggart, say their investment is now paying off. McTaggart manages a white dorper stud and a commercial dorper flock in pastoral country in South Australia, turning off around 200 lambs a week.

Another clenaskin convert is Anne Hughes, believes she is 30% better off running polled wiltshires, or wiltipolls, than merinos.

However, in spite of the increased demand for cleanskin sheep, they provide less than 10% of the lamb processed in Australia. A recent Meat and Livestock Australia survey showed that up to 50% of producers are otping to focus more on producing lamb, using the cleanskin type breed of sheep.

"We're not saying that there's not a place for wool," said Mawson, "It's the most beautiful natural fibre in the world, but some people can’t grow it well and they need another option to make money off their property."

Hundreds of years ago sheep didn't naturally grow huge fleeces, merely a thick winter coat which they shed each spring. Sheep were deliberately bred for wool, because of its high value. In recent times, however the value of wool has dramatically dropped, so that its production has become uneconomic.

About Will The Sound Of Shears In The Shed Be A Thing Of The Past
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