ON THE SHEEP FARM

Te Ao Hou, March 1961, Page 55

ON THE SHEEP FARM The above planning and budgeting will also be applicable to sheep farmers and all sheep farmers would be wise to adopt a system similar to the one outlined above. In my last newsletter I promised to cover the handling of the wool in the woolshed, so I will continue from where I left off when shearing was in full operation. It is more essential today than ever before to have your wool offered for sale in good order and condition and sold in straight lines. The difference in price between a mixed lot and a well-got-up lot is considerable, so the average farmer with a flock of up to say 2000 sheep would always be wise to have his clip binned for classing and sold with other wool of similar quality in straight lots. To have this done, he must always give definite instructions to his wool broker who, will look after his interests from the time the wool leaves the shed until it is sold and shipped away. The handling of wool starts before the sheep enter the woolshed and if sheep are brought in to the shed in a cleanly dagged state it is easy to keep the wool clean and the work on the wool table is made much easier. Clean fleece wool should only be lightly skirted by just taking off the dirty edges, and bellies must always be kept separate. All fleece wool can be rolled and baled together for classing at the wool store. Care must be taken to see that each bale is correctly and clearly branded and the class of wool indicated on one end and one side of each bale. It is most important to advise your broker of the number of bales forwarded and the instructions on how you expect your wool to be sold.