Several students at Moss Vale High School have gotten hands on sheep shearing experience.
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While the school's stud suffolk sheep normally get shorn in November, the wet weather meant the flock got shorn on February 19 instead.
Helping shearers Graham and Aaron Fahey were Hayley de Graaf, Sequoia Haberle, Charlotte Casburn, Matt Fahey, Scott Wellington, Remi Mant, Flynn Corby, Imogen Jacobs, Henry Fahey, Bridget Connors, Charlie Stone, Emma McMahon, and Brianna Hill.
They were assisted by farm assistant Samantha Larter and supervised by Mrs Finlayson. The sheep shearing began at 8:30 am and finished at 3:30 pm, with food provided by Mrs de Graaf, Mrs Tankard and Mrs Finlayson.
Students assisted in rouse-about duties which included:
- Moving animals between pens and the shed.
- Catching, tipping and taking sheep to the shearing board
- Clearing and sorting fleeces as animals were shorn.
- Removing inferior and stained wool from fleeces as directed by the wool classer.
- Grading wool that has been edged off fleeces.
- Bundling and pressing fleeces in wool bales ready for wool classing.
- Sweeping and tidying the wool shed.
- Drafting and assisting in the treating (back-lining) of the freshly shorn sheep with lice treatment.
- Returning sheep to paddocks afterwards.
The morning started off with students shearing ewes, followed by a morning tea break, which was followed by rams and wethers.
After lunch Graham taught the students how to shear and crutch by letting them get involved with his assistance and supervision.
Shearing and crutching are management practices to make sure the sheep don't over-heat and it helps prevent flystrike.
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