Quick Dips

Less Wool Means Better Returns

Half the time used to shear a sheep is taken up with removing wool that is practically worthless, and research into an ethically improved sheep breed suggests that breeding sheep with less wool on may be more economical.

Trimming wool off the head, legs, belly and backside takes half of the shearing time per sheep, yet yields only a kilogram of oddment wool worth about two dollars. If a sheep could be naturally bred with less wool on these difficult-to-shear areas, it would not only mean less time shearing each animal, but shearing would become safer. It would also reduce other input costs like crutching and dagging, reduce chemical use for flystrike control, and therefore improve the safety of sheep products.

"Wool harvesting is expensive relative to the value of the wool, and this is exacerbated by rising ACC costs. In the meantime consumer demand is increasing for chemical residue-free and animal-friendly products," says AgResearch wool scientist Dr David Scobie.

"The Ethically Improved Sheep concept means faster shearing which is safer for the sheep and the shearer. A sensible pattern of fleece cover could improve shearing rates and shearer safety. [It will also] lower the incidence of cut ears, eyelids, hamstrings and teats."

Wool growth on the head and legs have strong hereditary characteristics, so Scobie believes it is relatively straightforward to take advantage of this genetically, either by cross-breeding or selection within breeds.

The idea is to produce a genetically polled sheep with a short tail, devoid of wool on the head, legs, belly and breech. To be useful, a genetically short tail will need to be bare of wool, or more and slower crutching will be required.

Trials already carried out by AgResearch at Lincoln show the Ethically Improved Sheep will produce only one kilogram less wool per head, with half of this reduction in the form of lower value oddment wool like bellies and crutchings.

Less wool will be offset by the reduced dagging and crutching, and the increased fertility of sheep with bare points.