Smarter Shearing: How WA Woolgrowers Can Improve Productivity, Welfare and Shed Culture

For Western Australian woolgrowers, ensuring a smooth, safe and productive shearing is more important than ever as the price of wool continues to improve. In a recent episode of the AWI Extension WA Deep Dive series, host Georgia Pugh sat down with Darren Spencer, President of the WA Shearing Industry Association (WASIA) and a shearing contractor with 34 years of experience, to discuss the current state of the industry and how to shear smarter. You can listen to the full 30-minute conversation here.

Drawing from Darren’s decades of on-the-ground experience, here is a guide on how WA woolgrowers can optimise their shearing operations, improve shed culture and ensure the best outcomes for everyone involved.

Prioritise Safety and Shed Cleanliness

One of the most effective ways to improve shearing productivity is to ensure the workplace is safe and welcoming. Darren strongly advocates for the SafeSheds program, a reinvigorated AWI-funded initiative that encourages full shed inspections to identify and fix hazards well before shearing. With WA having the third-highest workers' compensation rate in the industry at around 6.8% to 6.9%—plus contractor loadings that can push costs to 12% or higher, a cost that ultimately gets passed on to the woolgrower—reducing shearing injuries directly benefits woolgrowers' bottom line.

Beyond structural safety, basic cleanliness plays a massive role on team morale. Darren notes that walking into a well-presented shed sets the tone for the entire job:

"If I turn up at a shed and the rubbish bin's still full from last year or still full from 2 years ago, most of the team will notice that and they'll walk in the shed with a different attitude. If the shed's clean and tidy, the rubbish bins are all empty and everything's ready to go, it makes it a lot more harmonious for people to walk into a shed and work there"  -  Darren Spencer, WASIA.

Nail Your Sheep Presentation and Logistics

A shearing team is there to shear, not to deal with dags or full sheep. Ensuring that sheep are clean and properly emptied out before they enter the shed is crucial for avoiding frustration and walk-outs. Outdated practices of leaving sheep full need to be left in the past.

Darren emphasises a simple but strict timeline for yarding:

"Our rule of thumb is that if we're going to shear a sheep tomorrow, we want that in the yards tonight"  -  Darren Spencer, WASIA.

Modernise for Muscular Health and Welfare

The physical toll of shearing is immense, with shearers effectively working as athletes for eight hours a day. To reduce muscle fatigue and back injuries, the industry is seeing fantastic advancements in shearing shed design, including race delivery systems, Arrow Park designs, and front-fill pens that eliminate the need to drag sheep across the board. Darren notes that a continuous drag back, or poorly placed let-out chutes, causes the sheep to fight the shearer, burning unnecessary energy.

Additionally, animal welfare is under a brighter spotlight than ever. Darren encourages both contractors and woolgrowers to participate in a 2-hour animal welfare workshop to make sure that you protect yourself by being across the latest animal welfare best practices. These short, highly informative courses teach crucial handling skills and injury management, which is especially important for woolgrowers adhering to sustainability and welfare guarantees.

Support Your Contractors and the Community

With current challenges around low sheep numbers in WA, retaining shearers and wool handlers in regional towns is vital. Programs like the Beyond the Shed program are helping contractors establish secondary businesses—such as agricultural work—and providing fee-free training for staff to get driver's licenses or learn to operate machinery like forklifts and chainsaws.

To help, woolgrowers are encouraged to support contractors who invest in their staff to directly contribute to the long-term survival of regional shearing teams. If you have an odd job on the farm that you need a hand with, consider reaching out to your shearing contractor to see if any of their staff can assist to support them and keep them employed in the region, particularly while sheep numbers are low. 

Keep the Lines of Communication Open

Above all else, successful shearing relies on mutual respect and maintaining an open dialogue. Darren highly recommends that the woolgrower be present on the first morning of shearing to introduce themselves to the team, point out any specific shed rules and establish a point of contact.

Darren perfectly sums up the secret to a great shearing:

"The biggest thing I think with the best outcome for shearing is communications, and it goes both ways. It's not just the grower... It's a two-way street. We need to all work better with each other, and I think we'll see a lot better outcomes in the industry" -  Darren Spencer, WASIA.

Key takeaways for WA woolgrowers

Darren’s advice to get the most out of your shearing this year:

• Schedule a full shed assessment at least six months before shearing and follow up with pre- and post-shearing inspections to stay on top of hazards.
• Empty the bins and thoroughly clean the shed before the shearing team arrives to promote a positive and productive shed culture and team attitude.
• Stick to the golden rule of sheep preparation: if you are shearing a sheep tomorrow, it needs to be in the yards tonight.
• Be present on the first morning of shearing to introduce yourself to the team and keep communication open with your contractor throughout the job.
• Invest time in a 2-hour animal welfare workshop to protect yourself and ensure you and your team are up-to-date on the best handling and injury management practices.
• Consider supporting your shearing contractor by offering occasional farm work for their staff to keep them employed locally while sheep numbers are low.

Check out the following links to learn more:

• Deep Dive Series, Episode 4: Smarter Shearing - AWI Extension WA
• SafeSheds - AWI, WASIA
• BeyondtheShed - WASIA
• Shearing Shed Design - AWI
• AWI Wool Harvesting Industry Animal Welfare Course - To express your interest in attending, contact rob.carter@srtafe.wa.edu.au

Georgia Pugh, AWI Extension WA