Sheep shearers are going flat out this spring season to make up for the workers who couldn't make it to Wagga this year due to the coronavirus lockdown.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Young shearer Toby Walker has been working at a blistering pace every day for the past seven weeks, and he said he could get through 250 sheep on a good day.
Mr Walker said he owed his deft hands and shearing skills to his father, a third generation shearer who taught him everything he knew about the craft.
"I've been doing it three years in total. Not very long, but I've had some very good teachers," Mr Walker said.
"The shearing industry's booming and the sheep industry's still good - shearers are in very high demand at the moment so they're paying us more. We can't complain."
Gundagai wool presser Josh Elphick has been getting some assistance from his two sheepdogs Shaun and Terry, who have proved invaluable team members through the hectic shearing season.
Mr Elphick has been travelling all over from sheds in Gundagai, to Hillston, and to Wagga to keep up with the surge in demand, and his two companions have gladly come along with him on his travels.
"They come everywhere. I'd be buggered without them," Mr Elphick said.
"They help put the sheep in the pens for the shearers. They definitely earn their keep."
In other news:
Wool classer Peter Stoll said he would normally hire New Zealanders to help out with the busy spring season, but that this year everyone would need to pitch in to help carry the extra workload.
Several shearing sheds in NSW and Victoria shut down during the early months of lockdown, leading to a backlog of sheep in need of a good shearing.
However, Mr Stoll said he was confident they would be able to get through the workload with the help of his team of keen young shearers.
"With the Kiwis not coming in it's been a bit hard to get shearers, but it hasn't stopped us," Mr Stoll said.
"We have some local boys helping us. Three of these shearers are only 20 years old."