Energy, movement and colour of a shearing shed
By MELINDA CAIRNS HACK
ENTERING a shearing shed when it is in full operation can only be described as a sensory explosion.
All receptors, from eyes, ears, nose and even mouth experience an intensely overwhelming hit.
Shearing sheds comes alive during the shearing season with shearing gangs, working dogs, banging play lists (at maximum volume), bleating sheep, electric hand pieces, banter and the occasional use of ‘colourful’ language, mingling with the smell of sheep, wool and sweat.
There are bits of eece of varying sizes ying through the air in the general direction of storage bags every other second, roustabouts madly sweeping up stray pieces of wool using paddle brooms everywhere you turn, and wool handlers, classers and pressers methodically going about their jobs like well-drilled soldiers.
The mixture of sights and sounds creates an adrenaline rush, matched by the frenetic pace of the shearing activity.
To the uninitiated observer it’s an exciting and lively space, where team work is of great importance for the smooth running of the operation.
This o en romanticised portrayal of life on the farm actually looks, in reality, like hard work, but there is many an old shearer who will tell you they have fond memories of their time in the shearing shed and that they were “the good old days”.
‘Coolringdon’ west of Cooma is an ideal place to learn the trade.
Australian Wool Innovations workshops are held at the property every year for two weeks to provide training and tips on sheep shearing, wool handling and wool classing.
The most recent school has just wrapped up and now it’s all handson-deck to nish o shearing the ewes before the winter sets in.
With 4300 sheep needing to be shorn, there’s only so many a “newby” to the industry can get through, so the rest are le to the professionals.
“It’s a bit di erent isn’t it,” shearing contractor, school course co-ordinator and wool classer, Mick Scho eld, said in the midst of all the action.
“We get through them quickly, you can see all the wool bales that
SHEARING ACTION: Professional shearers on the job at Coolringdon. Shearing sheep, especially, demands a high level of fitness.
PHOTOS: Melinda Cairns Hack
are already pressed.
“In the two weeks of the school there was only about 30 bales pressed whereas there’s already been 24-25 pressed this morning... that’s the di erence in pace and experience.”
The pressing area located at the rear of the shed, although busy, is slightly less manic, and quieter.
A shearers’ day starts at 7.30am until 9.30am, with half an hour for smoko, then 10am to 12pm, with an hour o for lunch; then 1pm to 3pm with a half hour break and the last session from 3.30pm to 5pm.
“If the weather’s kind to us, this will be a three-and-a-bit day job. But with some rain forecast, we will need to get the sheep shedded out of the weather to keep going, as you can’t shear when they are soaking wet.
“Wool is a natural bre, even when it’s on the sheep’s back or it’s on our back when you completely dry wool, as soon as you put it back in the air, it gains 17 per cent of its own weight in moisture. It’s a living, breathing bre; that’s why it’s a good natural product for insulation. It’s always breathing in moisture; if you’re out in the rain wearing wool, it takes more time to get wet with wool because it absorbs the moisture before it touches your skin,” Mick explained.
There’s not much, if anything, Mick doesn’t know about the sheep and wool industry.
Another interesting and possibly unanswered question many people
wonder about is why sheep are shorn so close to the freezing winter season.
OPENING THE DOORS OF THE WOOL SHED
it’s already giving them a two week start in the winter time.
The answer is snow combs. These combs are part of a shearer’s everyday equipment in the cold country.
There are di erent combs for di erent uses, much the same as using a buzzer for a clean shave or a more rough shave on a person, Mick said.
“The snow combs we use leaves ve millimetres on the sheep, if they got wet today they will u back up.
“A normal comb on the back is at and pointy, where the snow comb has a back on them with ridges and is wider between the teeth, which li s the eece o the skin and doesn’t cut as ne, to leave more wool on them.”
The increased uptake of using a snow comb in the last 10-15 years has resulted in it being a more popular method of ensuring sheep are not cold a er shearing, replacing the yellow, green or blue rugs which were put on the sheep.
“It was physically labour intensive putting the rugs on every sheep and then bringing them back in four weeks’ later to take them o ,” Mick said.
“Whereas with the snow comb we are doing all the work in one process, no double-handling; we are working smarter, not harder.
“Sheep grow about 8-10mm of wool a month, in length. So about 95-98mm in length a year. If we leave ve millimetres on the sheep,
“These sheep we are shearing today won’t lamb until the middle of August or early September, so by that time they have about 20mm back on them and this helps with lambing. If they had that 100mm on lamb and they get really wet and are down lambing that’s putting an extra 10kg on them and it’s harder for them to get up.
“Only 20mm on helps, especially with the ‘twinners’. It means they can get back to their feet a lot easier if it’s wet.
Wool sheds come alive during shearing season. Shearers, wool handlers and classers are generally on their feet all day due to the hands-on nature of the job.
“I o en do 22,000 steps a day
“If they are down for too long, you usually lose that sheep because they can’t get back up as they get exhausted struggling.
“Ninety-nine per cent of farmers are looking a er their stock, and they are treating their animals properly. They take pride in breeding and caring for livestock because that’s a farmers’ livelihood.”
Mick has been involved with the industry for many years, and is not slowing down with age. As an educator he is ensuring the longevity and security of the wool industry.
“You are just moving all the time in a job like this,” Mick said.
“I o en do 22,000 steps a day in this job, anything you do, your body starts wearing out from the day you start. I was shearing for about 25 years and I’m as good as gold in the back. It’s about teaching better techniques with foot work, timing, standing in the right position and not having the weight of the sheep on you, so you’re a lot more balanced nowadays, rather than using brute force.
“The more relaxed you are, the calmer the sheep is and the easier it is.”
Think of it as like having a dance partner, Mick described, “you’re moving your feet all the time and the sheep is moving with you so you are using their balance and your rhythm.”
Landholders’ weed concerns continue
By MELINDA CAIRNS HACK
CONCERNS about the spread of African lovegrass (ALG) across the region continue, with a map published on the Department of Primary Industries’ website showing ALG hot spots across NSW revealing the extent of the invasive weed’s coverage in this region.
ALG has taken over pastures and disturbed areas within the region, degrading pastures as it’s not nutritious for livestock.
Nimmitabel landholder, Ant Waldren, one of a number of local voices pushing for greater control measures of ALG, has shared the map with members of the local farming community involved in the campaign to control ALG in the Monaro, federal and state politicians, Snowy Monaro Regional Council, Local Land Services, landcare and other relevant groups.
The map contains data captured from property inspections and reported to the NSW Biosecurity Information System. The map is updated every month with each dot representing a patch or a polygon that’s been mapped, and could be half an acre or 1000 acres.
“The scary part about this map, is it shows how massively ALG has taken over as a monoculture in the last 40 years,” Mr Waldren said.
Local grazier, Ross Sherlock, a Rural Fire Service captain, hosted a farm visit in April from the State Natural Resource Commission (NRC) - with support from SMRC councillors and biosecurity o cers, Landcare Group leaders, LLS regional o cers, and local landowners - to appeal to the NRC to bring in a pilot program around managing ALG on the Monaro.
“Many Monaro residents are extremely upset that a good citizen like Ross is spending $300 per hectare per year spot spraying ALG, on land quite close to Cooma, which is keeping the community safe,” Mr Waldren said.
“This weed was introduced by Soil Con as a soil stabiliser on roadsides and continues to spread like a slow-moving bush re.
“In the last couple of years councils have taken ALG o the noxious weeds list, taking away landholders’ requirement to spray out this noxious weed. A large reason for this was it was costing councils a fortune in legal bills from being challenged by litigious landholders a er being served with a notice to act on spraying
Map shows extent of African lovegrass spread on Monaro
the 22 years since,” Mr Waldren said.
WEED INVASION: Recorded presence of ALG during property inspections (Map: Biosecurity Information System - Weeds, 2017-2025). These records are made by authorised o icers during property inspections under the Biosecurity Act 2015. O icers record the presence of priority weeds in their council area and provide this to the NSW Department of Primary Industries. Records reflect the presence of the weed on the date of inspection. IMAGE: Supplied
their ALG infestations. The spread of ALG on the Monaro between 1986 and 2020 grew from 3000HA to 10,000HA.
“Councils have also recently stopped spraying ALG on roadsides; roadsides being the main conduit to the spread of ALG on to all land tenure, and particularly towards and into national parks.
“The massive temperature and velocity created by ALG mega fires is the reason why a report shows ALG as being the greatest risk to koalas today.
“If you look on the map you can see where ALG has infestations around some larger communities including Cooma, Bredbo and Canberra.
“The only thing that saved
Canberra from the 2003 bushfire from ripping further through more suburbs on the westerly wind at the time, was an easterly wind with rain that came in at around 3pm.
“Canberra might not be so lucky in different wind conditions next time, particularly with the massive spread of ALG around Canberra, unchecked in
“The only way to mitigate this weed causing extension of mega fires in the future is by farming buffer zones on all arable land tenure around our communities, and adjacent to highways,” Mr Waldren said.
“This will involve spraying out and planting exotic crop and pastures, which will protect community, travelling vehicles, firefighters and flora and fauna from fire.
“It will give a real chance of isolating the spread of large fires similar to the ones in 2019 and 2020, which started around Adelong and joined up other fires all the way to the coast.”
Independent members of parliament are urged by Mr Waldren to work with federal and state members, Kristy McBain and Steve Whan.
One of the requests presented by the landowner working group is to scrap the native vegetation regulatory (NVR) maps on the Monaro.
“We would like them to work together to bring in an on-farm mapping system identifying the 7 per cent area of high value native grasses, so farmers can use crops and improved pastures where needed to provide a buffer to protect these high value native species that are left,” Mr Waldren
“Also support the education of all landholders who can manage non-infested native pasture where ALG is less than 2 or 3 per cent in area.
“We urge the independents to support Steve and Kristy to lift state and federal limitations on timbered areas in pasture paddocks with 2 to 3 per cent or more of ALG incursion; and to support Steve Whan in getting a fire management plan around ALG where it has infestations around the state, to help stop massive hot fires it is sending into NSW parks,” Mr Waldren said.
“This should be a priority for the sake of protecting our communities from being overrun by fire, and to protect our environment,” Mr Waldren said.
The map of ALG can be viewed on NSW Weedwise at https:// weeds.dpi.nsw.gov.au/Weeds/ AfricanLovegrass (click on the link where it says recorded presence of African lovegrass during property inspections).
New super tax a threat to farming
WITH the federal election behind us the re-elected Labor government seems determined to progress its plan of a proposed tax increase on super balances over $3 million, the so-called Better Targeted Superannuation Bill.
The treasurer has re-affirmed he intends to double the tax on earnings from super balances above $3 million to 30 per cent.
If the Greens in the senate have their way when the new super tax is legislated, it would apply to funds above $2 million.
However of greater community concern is the government’s plan to target unrealised capital gains, or what might be referred to as ‘paper profits’- taxing profits not made and may never be made.
While the government maintains the changed super tax will be modest, it estimates the new tax will develop $40 billion collected over the next decade.
With no indexing of the super balance limit, it will affect millions of Australians.
Self-managed super funds, who will have to find extra funds to pay unexpected and potentially significant tax bills, will not see the change as modest, let alone costs of valuations and potential legal disputes.
Super industry advisers point to the potential for funds to sell assets to pay tax liabilities for unrealised gains, which might have vanished at the time the asset is eventually sold.
They also say the proposed super tax changes sets a precedent for potential extension of other taxes by the government on unrealised gains.
It’s believed Treasury has been working on the new tax for some time, yet the question of it applying to defined benefits pension schemes remains uncertain.
Of concern to trades people, small business and farming families will be the prospect of illiquid assets in super funds such as farms or buildings, and the potential cash flow problems that occur.
Australian family enterprises have for decades planned their business structures, investments, and retirement benefits around super and self-managed superannuation funds.
These arrangements have been based on long term plans and predictable guidelines.
The proposed tax changes represent a serious threat to personal and business financial stability and to a reliable income stream.
The government now needs to listen, rescind its planned changes as unfair and destabilising, and consider other revenue raising options.
And with Labor’s strong election result, the National and Liberal parties should put their differences aside, combine their expertise and experience as an effective opposition, to prosecute a more active response on this and other contentious legalisation.
Re-purposing oyster pots as tree guards
By MELINDA CAIRNS HACK
UPPER Snowy Landcare Network (USLN) has obtained old oyster pots from Tathra Oysters to re-purpose as tree guards.
The oyster pots are being replaced by Tathra Oysters due to updated farming technologies, and are now available to local landholders for use.
“They were extremely excited to see that these mesh pots will be getting re-used in such a wonderful way,” USLN coordinator, Maggie Lemcke said.
“What a great opportunity to re-use what would have otherwise been shredded.
“A huge thank you to the convoy [who collected the pots].
“We’ve already got landholders out there doing regen work with these pots.”
One landholder in the region, Huw Kingston, has made good use of the oyster pots.
Huw said he is not an oyster lover, but appreciates this great opportunity to re-purpose the old pots.
A er collecting the pots from USLN, 100 oyster pots were cut in half to make 200 tree guards which were used to plant 200 native grass seedlings at his property as part of the Land For Wildlife program.
“If you expressed interest in the pots and have not yet had a chance to collect some please get in touch,” Ms Lemcke said.
Contact Upper Snowy Landcare Network with the number of guards required by sending an email to: contact@ uppersnowylandcare.org.au
Farmers welcome focus on ferals
NSW Farmers president, Xavier Martin, believes all options need to be on the table to tackle the state’s feral animal problem, welcoming comments from the Premier.
Last week, NSW Premier, Chris Minns, suggested the state government would be open to bounties and other measures to control feral animals that were causing increasing damage to both farmland and the natural environment.
“The problem of feral animals –such as pigs – is an escalating concern for farmers, and we would welcome a shared responsibility, including additional funding, to control these nasty pests,” Mr Martin said.
“Feral pigs, for example, cause mil-
lions in damage each year. They attack people and animals, they tear up paddocks, destroy fences, they really are incredibly nasty animals.
“It’s not just pigs – wild dogs and cats are a perennial problem that need to be controlled, and feral deer are an increasing problem.
“Online commentators who suggest we don’t need additional e orts in this area are seriously out of touch with the realities of the landscape.”
NSW had the highest number of feral mammal species in the nation, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, costing farmers millions each year in damage and production losses.
More funding to deliver coordinated,
long-term, cross-tenure pest control programs across the state were critical, Mr Martin said, and all options needed to be on the table, including bounties, baits, trapping and aerial culls.
“We know animal pests are expected to cause damages in excess of $489 million annually by next year,” he said.
“That’s a staggering amount of money, and that’s why we welcome the Premier’s approach to look at every option to slash the number of feral animals.
“We know there’s going to need to be tight controls to ensure safety, uphold biosecurity and enforce authorisation, but NSW Farmers is prepared to work with government to get this right and solve this problem once and for all.”
A convoy travelled to Tathra recently to collect the old oyster pots.
PHOTO: Supplied
RE-PURPOSE: Landholders are re-using old oyster pots from Tathra Oysters as tree guards to protect vegetation on properties.
PHOTO: Huw Kingston
Out and about at latest Cooma cattle sale
THE latest Cooma cattle sale has seen 800 head o ered with buyers from across the Monaro, Riverina, Northern NSW and eastern Victoria interested in Monaro produced cattle.
Agents say they were pleased with the attendance and results.
A report from the Cooma cattle sale on Friday, 30 May will be appear in next week’s paper.
Last week’s
Numbers decline following heavy rain: market report
Wagga Wagga cattle sale yards 4555
By MEAT AND LIVESTOCK AUSTRALIA
RAIN had a substantial impact, causing numbers to decline signi cantly. The majority of the cattle were in store condition, there were occasional wellnished trade and export cattle included in the mix, with quite a few having been grain assisted. Despite not all buyers or orders being active today, enthusiastic re-stockers from northern regions, along with local buyers, helped to signi cantly li prices. This surge in demand was notable, for lighter weights under 300kg. Feeder cattle lacked weight with not the big numbers we have seen over 400kg.
Trade cattle in the 400-500 kg range, were in limited supply. Steers and heifers to the trade sold from 356 to 412c/kg.
Lighter cattle, particularly those under 300/kg, saw a higher volume in numbers. Steers and heifers in this weight category experienced impressive price increases, with gains between 50c to 96c/kg, largely driven by re-stockers eager to acquire the bulk of these lighter weights.
In the feeder market, the supply of steers in the 400-500 kg range was limited, contributing to a price rise of 24c/kg, with prices fetching between 355c to 439 c/kg. Similarly, lighter weight feeders steers also made solid gains, selling at prices
ranging from 350c to 422c/kg.
The availability of feeder heifers declined, resulting in a price li of 20c to 49c/kg. The medium weight portion selling at 332c to 390c/kg.
The export market lacked supplies of heavy steers and bullocks to suit processors.
The bulk gaining from 20c to 52c and selling at 355c to 424c/kg. The cow market was a highlight with prices continuing to rise as the sale progressed, with some companies starting later in the sale.
Heavy cows gained 44c making from 290c to 338c/kg. Leaner cows fetched 240c to 303c/kg. Store cows sold from 258c to 306c/kg.
Wagga Wagga sheep sale yards 54,250 Merino ewes reach $270/head: MLA
By MEAT AND LIVESTOCK AUSTRALIA
ABOUT 40,000 lambs were penned and the quality was good with plenty of heavy and extra heavy weights o ered. There was a good run of well nished trade weights and secondary trades and light lambs were not over supplied. Most of the usual buyers were operating and the trade runs were dearer while the heavy and extra heavy lambs were close to rm.
Re-stocking lambs sold from $131 to $188/head and averaged 1050c/ kg and several larger dra s of light Merinos sold from $97 to $158/head averaging 750c to 800c/kg. Trade lambs were $8 stronger with lambs 18 to 24kg selling from $178 to $253/
head. The 24 to 26kg trades $226 to $278/head.
Heavy weights to 30kg ranged from $248 to $308 and extra heavy lambs over 30kg sold from $283 to $375/head. The bulk of the lambs sold between 950c to 1020c/kg cwt.
A large run of heavy Merino lambs o feed bins reached $296/ head and the best price for a heavy hogget reached $244/head.
Mutton numbers eased but the quality remained similar, prices were strong with buyers a er the better covered heavy weights.
Ewes weighing 18 to 24kg sold from $115 to $178/head and heavy crossbreds reached $296/head with Merino ewes topping at $270/head. Most ranged between 650c and 730c/kg cwt.
Local agents have commended producers on their e orts in presenting 800 head of cattle for the most recent sale.
Cooma Associated Agents - comprising Nutrien Ag, Elders and Monaro Livestock and Property - ran a successful sale last Friday at the Cooma Saleyards.
Elders agents in action at the Cooma Cattle Sale on Friday. Agents were pleased with results and thanked vendors for supporting a local sale.
LIVESTOCK:
Cooma Cattle Sale saw buyer interest from across the state as 800 head of cattle were sold. PHOTOS: Melinda Cairns Hack
Preventing an outbreak Cattle, sheep market update
By ERIN LUKEY, MEAT AND LIVESTOCK AUSTRALIA INFORMATION ANALYST
Cattle market
THE cattle market returned to prices seen at the start of this month, with all indicators up between 1–45¢/kg liveweight (lwt) from a fortnight ago.
Yardings eased as the east coast rainfall constricted supply. National yardings eased six per cent to 57,689 head. There were declines across all states bar Queensland, which is showing a strong supply of cattle, up 37 per cent week-on-week.
The Processor Cow Indicator and Dairy Cow Indicator were the best performers this week, li ing 24¢ and 45¢ respectively for 280¢/kg lwt and 245¢/kg lwt.
The Re-stocker Yearling Steer was at a premium to the other steer indicators, returning to early-2025 prices at 404¢/kg cwt. With less than one cent movement in the feeder market, this brought the re-stocker premium to 25¢ above feeder steers 379¢/ kg lwt, and 56¢ above heavies at 347¢/kg lwt. This is the largest gap between re-stockers and feeders since March.
Sheep market
The sheep market was strong last week, as demand for heavy trade and export lambs drove all indicators in a positive direction.
The three nished lamb indicators for light, trade and heavy lambs, all li ed over 100¢ over the week. Yardings eased across both categories, though strong prices encouraged more numbers in the later sales.
Lamb yardings were down one per cent to 195,315 head while sheep yardings eased 13 per cent to 93,795 head.
The heavy lamb market was the leader this week, li ing 103¢ to record prices above 1,000¢/kg carcase weight (cwt).
The National Heavy Lamb Indicator nished the week on 1,005¢/kg cwt thanks to intense demand across saleyards for export weight stock. Processors li ed competition in saleyards as supply constraints and transport disruptions caused increased demand.
Forbes, Ballarat, Dubbo, Horsham, Bendigo, Hamilton and Tamworth sales saw heavy lamb averages top 1,000¢ with multiple Victorian saleyards producing lambs worth over $400/head. Here’s a more in-depth analysis on the current heavy lamb market.
Demand for heavies pulled up trade weights, li ing the National Trade Lamb Indicator to 987¢/kg cwt, just two cents shy of the previous record in 2019.
Again, multiple saleyards across Victoria and NSW saw average prices above 1,000¢, though strong supply through Wagga Wagga reduced competition in the market measuring prices.
As we enter the seasonal dip in lamb supply, heavy and trade lamb supply is likely to remain a key market driver.
HIGH RISK: Australia is currently free from the highly infectious H5N1 bird flu strain, however developments across the globe are raising urgent concerns.
Local landholders call for avian virus strategies
By MELINDA CAIRNS HACK
LOCAL landholders have expressed concern about how ready the region and more widely, Australia, is for a possible outbreak of the deadly H5N1 avian in uenza virus.
There are various di erent avian u strains already in Australia, however none are as dangerous as the H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b.
A recent report on ABC Television’s current a airs program 7.30 revealed the risk to Australia has increased.
Despite Australia’s current H5N1-free status, migratory birds pose a signi cant risk of introducing the virus to Australia.
“That’s due to the number of di erent bird species that can now be a ected by the strain and potentially disperse it [domestically] over longer distances,” Australia’s chief veterinary o cer, Dr Beth Cookson, said in the interview.
Additionally, the 7.30 story stated the World Health Organisation, in its latest Avian Flu assessment, encouraged vigilance and advised testing is “warranted” in pigs, as
they “act as mixing vessels for genetic re-assortment of avian and human in uenza viruses, potentially creating new strains with pandemic potential”.
Monaro landholder, Ant Waldren, has contacted the region’s federal and state government representatives, Member for Eden-Monaro, Kristy McBain, and Member for Monaro, Steve Whan, to ask for urgent government action.
“Please contact Minister Watt [Federal Minister for the Environment] and make a plan for large scale baiting and trapping across the state to reduce pig numbers to save what is one of the biggest causes of environmental loss, as well as one of the biggest biosecurity risks Australia faces today,” Mr Waldren said.
Mr Waldren used the example of swine u (H1N1), a type of viral infection, to back up his plea.
H1N1 is called swine u because it resembles a respiratory infection that pigs can get. In 2009, an H1N1 pandemic infected millions of people worldwide.
“H1N1 can be spread via wild pigs,” Mr Waldren said.
“The current H5N1 strain
circulating in wild birds and dairy cows has been shown to replicate in pigs.
“This means that if pigs are exposed to the H5N1 virus, they can become infected and potentially transmit it to other animals, including other pigs.
“Pigs, being susceptible to both avian and human in uenza viruses, make them a place where these viruses can interact and exchange genetic material, potentially leading to new, potentially more dangerous strains.
“Some farmers in the north of the state are saying they’re having to deal with as many as 2000 wild pigs coming out of the parks onto their crops, and although the Local Land Services have been very supportive with resources in dealing with the problem, these farmers are largely getting rid of these at their own cost.
“Aside from the massive environmental loss pigs cause to native species alone, their potential mass spreading of H5N1 is a great concern, considering the ABC story.
“Many are saying that an 80 per cent kill rate of wild pigs each year will only just stop their year-on-year exponential
increase in population size,” Mr Waldren said.
He also has called on the Teal Independents and Independent Senator for the ACT, David Pocock, to support and encourage the state and federal governments to “address the wild pig problem and advocate for practical on the ground reduction in their numbers, year on year ahead”.
Mr Waldren suggested a pilot programme could start on the Monaro, driven by the highly effective Local Land Service (LLS), when given enough funding.
“Around this time of year National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and LLS on the Monaro have had highly cost-effective trapping and baiting of wild pigs to dateagain when there is sufficient funding.
“This has largely been possible from a high level of landholder co-operation and trust with NPWS and LLS trappers working on private land bordering the park.
“Senator Pocock, we ask you to engage with ACT Parks to implement the highly effective baiting and trapping methods used by government agencies on the Monaro,” Mr Waldren said.
PHOTO: aussieanimals.com