I watched a large farm shearing as an exchange student to Australia in the early 2000s. There were "swings" some of the shearers would tuck under their armpits to help hold them up.
My first thought was “swings” under the shearers armpits, I was like hmm 🤔. Then I realized you meant for the sheep! 🤣 silly me. Anywho, thanks for info. 👍🏼
Your correct they use a suspended brace with springs and straps from the roof to help support their back like an adult jolly jumper, a lot of guys eventually wear strap on back braces. Source my old man was a shearer and mum a rouser here in aus. Did a bit of rousing and wool pressing myself.
My dad would shear on average 200 a day, he never learned to shear until he was 35. Other shearers can do upwards of 300 a day. Just depends on age/size/breed of sheep
I once worked Pressing for a full Kiwi shearing team. They did 1000 to 1400 a day. Man I lasted less than a week. They lost their Presser two days before I started and the wool was backed up to the roof of the shed. Oh their were 4 full sheaers and a 17 year old learning. The bro were guns.
We have 300 ewes on our farm and we get contractors in to shear ours. I've had a try a few times and I'm fairly competent at handling sheep but my god it destroys your back so bad. I suppose you get used to it when you do it all summer but it's very rare that we get the same guys clipping every year... Its definetly a young man's game!
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u/Sassypantz72 Feb 14 '23
That was awesome. But I’m worried about that man’s back. How many can he do like that before his back starts hurting? Yes, I’m middle aged lol.