Case Study: Sheep Rearing in Australia | Geography Class 7 ICSE PDF Download

Introduction

The chapter "Sheep Rearing in Australia" explores how Australia became a leading producer of wool, particularly Merino wool, due to its unique geographical conditions and historical developments. It covers the history of sheep rearing, the factors that make Australia suitable for this industry, the management of sheep stations, and the processes involved in wool production. The chapter also highlights the significance of wool as a major export and the role of sheep stations in sustaining this industry.

History of Sheep Rearing in Australia

• First Merino sheep arrived in Australia from Cape Town, South Africa, in 1797.
• Flock size and wool quality improved through selective breeding for Australian conditions.
• By the 1830s, Australia competed with Spain and Germany as a major wool supplier to England.
• Wool became Australia's main export by 1838.
• Early wool industry lacked fences; shepherds monitored sheep.
• Shearers used hand blades (blade shears) to cut wool.
• Wool was transported to ships using horse or bullock carts for export to England for clothing and furnishings.

Factors that Make Sheep Rearing Conducive

• Wool is an important textile material worldwide.
• Sheep rearing for wool depends on specific geographical factors.

Cool Dry Climate

• Cool, dry regions are ideal for sheep rearing due to limited agriculture in arid areas.
• Hot climates reduce fleece quality, and heavy rainfall damages wool.
• Australia’s cool, dry climate supports high-quality wool production.

Rugged Topography

• Mountainous terrain with short, poor pastures suits sheep grazing.
• Grass on mountain slopes provides ample grazing for sheep.
• Australia leads in wool production but not in finished woollen textiles due to a small local market, high wages, and need for skilled workers.

Sheep Station

• Sheep stations are large land areas in southeast or southwest Australia for rearing sheep for wool and meat.
• In New Zealand, Merinos are reared in the High Country of the South Island.
• Stations cover thousands of square kilometers with low stocking rates to ensure enough feed and water.
• Include shearing sheds and shearers’ quarters for processing wool.

Managing a Sheep Station

• Wool producers manage sheep and pastures to ensure high wool production and healthy livestock.
• Operations are planned based on location and other activities like cropping or cattle production.
• Sheep are monitored for sufficient grass and water intake.
• A feed budget guides how many sheep can be kept and their movement between paddocks.
• Sheep are brought to yards and shearing sheds for drenching, vaccinating, marking, crutching, and shearing.

Drenching and Vaccinating

• Drenching prevents internal worms in sheep.
• Vaccinations protect against diseases like tetanus, cheesy gland, pulpy kidney, sheep measles, Ovine Johne’s Disease, and black leg.
• Blowflies and lice are major challenges for wool producers.

Marking and Bringing Ewes and Rams Together

• Ewes and rams are brought together for breeding for 3–6 weeks, then rams are separated.
• Controlled breeding ensures lambs are born at similar times for easier management.
• Lamb marking occurs at 2–8 weeks, including vaccinations, ear tags, tail docking, and castration of males (except those kept for breeding or sale).

Shearing

• Shearing is the process of cutting off sheep fleece, usually done once a year.
• Performed by professional shearers, shed hands, wool handlers, and wool classers in a shearing shed.
• Shearing sheds process hundreds to over 3,000 sheep daily, depending on station size.
• Shearing duration varies from days to weeks based on sheep numbers.
• Shearing occurs in all seasons, depending on climate, management, and shearer availability.
• Ewes are shorn before lambing, avoiding cold winters to protect lambs.
• Shorn sheep tolerate frosts, but young sheep are kept in sheds during cold, wet, windy weather.

Process of Shearing

• Shearing mostly happens in spring using shearing machines.
• Professional shearers do the work for 8 hours a day.
• The shearer starts by removing the belly wool, which is separated by a stable hand while the sheep is still being shorn.
• The fleece is thrown onto a wool table with the clean side down to separate short pieces, locks, and debris from the fleece.
• The fleece is skirted by one or more wool rollers to remove the less desirable parts of the wool.

Removing the Wool

• The shearer starts by cutting the wool from the sheep's belly area.
• The wool from this part is separated because it is very soft and clean.
• The rest of the wool is still attached to the sheep's body and is cut by hand.
• Sheep that have been sheared are called shorn.

Throw the Fleece onto the Wool Table

• After shearing, the wool, which is called fleece, is placed on a table.
• The clean fleece is moved to the table for the next steps.
• Workers remove small pieces like locks and other dirt from the fleece.

Shirt, roll and class the fleece

• Then, they separate the fleece into different types, such as skirt, roll, and class.
• Skirt, roll, and class are different parts of the fleece based on quality.
• Finally, the fleece is rolled up by removing the less useful parts.
• Fleece is skirted by wool rollers to remove less desirable parts (short, seeded, burry, or dusty wool).

Class and Place It in the Appropriate Wool Bin

• After cleaning the fleece, it is folded and rolled up.
• A person called a wool classer checks the quality of the fleece.
• The wool classer is trained and qualified to do this job.
• Depending on the type of fleece, it is placed in the correct wool bin.

Press and Store the Wool Until It is Transported

• The fleece is pressed into a big bundle using a machine.
• This bundle is called a wool bale.
• The wool bale is made when there is enough wool collected.
• The wool is stored in the bale until it is ready to be transported.

Mustering

• Mustering involves moving large groups of sheep for grazing or husbandry tasks.
• Methods include motorbikes, horses, sheep dogs, or even planes and helicopters, depending on property size.
• Mustering starts early to avoid moving sheep in extreme heat.
• Paddocks and stock routes are planned to simplify mustering.
• Sheep dogs (e.g., Border Collies, Australian Kelpies) are vital, bred to keep flocks together.

Grazing Management

• Wool producers manage grazing to keep sheep healthy and land sustainable.
• In high-rainfall areas, rotational grazing moves sheep between paddocks based on pasture growth.
• In low-rainfall areas, larger paddocks allow sheep to stay longer.
• Grazing duration depends on the season and pasture growth rate.

Major Markets

• China is the primary market for Australian Merino wool.
• Most wool is exported as greasy wool for processing into garments, textiles, and furnishings.
• Some processed wool products are imported back to Australia for local sale.
• Northern Hemisphere countries are the main consumers.
• Processing is costly in Australia due to high labor costs; countries like China process wool more cheaply.