More shearing, less stress, and proof’s in the wool

New research from the University of Queensland has found a link between pregnant ewes and frequent shearing.

Pregnant sheep shorn frequently are more active, less stressed, and yield lambs with finer wool, according to new research.

PREGNANT  sheep shorn frequently are more active, less stressed, and yield lambs with finer wool, according to new research.

The study, undertaken at the University of Queensland and funded by Australian Wool Innovation, showed Merino ewes shorn twice during their pregnancy showed improved results compared to ewes shorn once. University of Queensland school of agriculture and food science’s Edward Narayan said there was “anecdotal evidence” shearing ewes in early pregnancy could lead to higher wool productivity.

“But we wanted to see how it affected the animal,” Dr Narayan said.

Dr Narayan said the research showed while shearing was acutely stressful for sheep in the short term, it reduce stress in the long term.

“The evidence was in the wool itself.”

Stress hormones present in wool samples were analysed and used to calculate and compare animal stress over time. “Cortisol is a major stress hormone and prolonged stress is known to negatively influence growth, development and reduce body mass,” Dr Narayan said.

“The hormone is incorporated into the wool through the blood vessels at a slow pace, and this reflects the stress that the sheep goes through on a farm.

“It’s a great result, and farmers should take note that reducing the amount of cortisol in their sheep means reduced instances of a suppressed immune function, reproductive failure, emaciation and poor quality production output, such as dark-cutting meat or reduced wool quality.”

AWI general manager research Jane Littlejohn said the trial was a “very small pilot trial”.

“While there were some statistically significant findings, AWI is hesitant to draw firm conclusions on the welfare benefits of six-monthly shearing at this time,” Dr Littlejohn said.

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