By David Hill
Shearing remains an essential service, but restrictions are creating headaches for North Canterbury shearers as winter looms.
Shearing contractors spoken to by North Canterbury News say while they support the lockdown restrictions, there could be animal welfare issues ahead if they get too far behind in their shearing workload.
Rangiora shearing contract Rowan Nesbit says the level four lockdown restrictions mean his shearers are working in smaller teams and having to travel to jobs in separate vehicles, slowing the work down and adding to the costs.
“To keep the two metre distances, we can only have two shearers and two shed hands on a job and in smaller sheds that becomes a logistical challenge.
“We are asking farmers to stay out of sheds and that they spray benches and eating areas before we commence work and we are taking all our own food .and cutlery, even where the farmers usually provide meals.”
Last week he had a team shearing in Lees Valley, shore just 350 sheep a day between two shearers, instead of the usual 900 sheep a day.
He is looking forward to the lockdown moving to level three, which could allow shearing teams to forming a bubble, sharing cars, and having one metre spacings will improve efficiency.
“We are doing the jobs that are urgent and farmers are trying to hold off until things settle down, but if we get too far behind it will become a nightmare especially if we get bad weather.”
Shearing contractor Mike Morgan operates between Amberley, Kaikoura and Hanmer Springs and says there is an urgency to get work completed as winter and early season lambing approach, but there could be a shortage of shearers if travel restrictions are not relaxed.
“From now on it's a busy time of year for the next three to four months. In Waiau we need to get things done before it gets cold and the snow gets to them.
“We usually get shearers and shed hands from the North Island, but they can't come at the moment, so we've got to work with what we've got.
“We will get through May, but in June it will become a problem.”
Mr Morgan says fly-strike is an issue, meaning there is an urgency to be sheep shorn and many Corriedale ewes are shorn annually in May.
“They've got 12 months of wool on them, so you can't really leave them any longer.”
