Source: Conroy & Hanrahan

Planning

Careful planning is essential and should involve:

• A review of the current shearing shed and shedding requirements for the property and how this could change in the next ten years;
• An assessment of the current and future usefulness of the existing shearing shed and its capacity for modification (don’t forget other farm sheds that could be used to store sheep and wool);
• Considering finances to ensure plans are affordable and fit in with other needs for expenditure on the property;
• Choosing the best option, which might involve doing nothing, purchasing or hiring new equipment for the wool room, modifying an old shed or building a new shed;
• Drawing up the proposed shed to scale on graph paper and checking how the plan fits in with existing facilities and that it is compatible with the placement of stumps;
• Closely supervising the construction (if having the shed built), mistakes can be hard to change once the shed is finished; and 
• Being prepared to make changes to the shed after using it for the first time, for instance, changes to the layout of the wool room may be necessary to achieve the best results.

Assessing requirements

The following factors determine the shearing-shed requirements of a property:

• Present and future sheep numbers;
• Whether the flock shearing is split;
• Desired duration of shearing;
• Time of year sheep are shorn;
• Adequate working conditions for shearing staff; and
• Farm shedding needs other than shearing

The size of a shearing shed usually depends on the number of sheep to be shorn. A general rule of thumb is for a shed to have one shearing stand plus another for each 1000 sheep to be shorn and enough storage space for at least one full day of shearing. However, other factors may need to be considered before the final decision on shed size is made.

One factor is the future size of the flock. Woolgrowers will need to consider any possible property expansion, improvement in carrying capacity and likely changes in enterprise mix on the property. Another consideration is the duration of shearing. Most producers like to have shearing completed in two to three weeks but other pressures, such as need to undertake other farm operations or the timing of shearing to coincide with annual leave, may necessitate a shorter span. On the other hand, woolgrowers may spread out shearing so that family labour can be used to minimize cash outflow.

A third consideration is the possibility of split shearings. If one or more mobs are shorn at different times to the rest of the flock, this will reduce the duration and pressure of the main shearing. This gain needs to be balanced against increased complications that the split shearing might place on flock management.

Providing good working conditions for the shearing team is an important consideration in shearing shed design, but it is an aspect that is often overlooked. Most employees don’t expect extravagant conditions, but a comfortable shed that works well, encourages good labour relations and can help retain quality staff in future years. Modern shed designs can reduce the workload, shed hands and wool classers, and give them greater opportunity to work to the best of their ability.

Minimum facilities include a wash basin with hot running water, comfortable chairs for all staff, a table, a drinking water supply, a refrigerator if weather is hot, an urn for hot water, and clean toilets.

If major renovations are undertaken, a separate enclosed area should be considered. It should have good ventilation and lighting, fly-wire screens and, maybe, a stove or microwave. A staff lunch room (see right) is worth considering if major rennovations are contemplated.

Shearing sheds can be dangerous work environments and this is being reflected in accident insurance premiums. Woolgrowers should acquaint themselves with the occupational health and safety guidelines that apply in their state before they start the planning phase. Care should be taken to minimise potential hazards and eliminate or repair defective equipment.

Facilities such as permanent attachment points for shearing harnesses, adequate cooling, draught control and lighting should be standard, and there should be appropriate safety features for grinders and wool presses.

Where possible, chemicals should be housed away from the wool room in a separate compartment, with an outside entrance. Alternatively, a separate small lockable shed can be used for this purpose.

Return to renovate or build.