Gold standard shearing shed based on innovative AWI design taking shape in Kojonup

In a matter of weeks, the first sheep will be shorn at a new WA shearing shed based on an industry prototype which is exciting woolgrowers with its innovative and ergonomic design. Standing 7m tall, 24m wide and 36m long, with a holding capacity of 700-800 sheep upstairs and 500-600 downstairs, it is anticipated to shave more than 30 per cent off time spent shearing. For the past three months the shed has been taking shape at Glenpadden Farms in Kojonup, run by third-generation farmer Geoff Bilney and his wife Linda. The best-practice shed is based on an Australian Wool Innovation design revealed in Dubbo last year, ergonomically set up to improve work-flow, staff safety and sheep welfare. The six-stand, flat-board design features wide chutes, amenities, matrix flooring, timber components, sloped, front-fill catching pens and an almost straight drag to the workstation. It was the latter two items that caught the eye of Mr Bilney, who had been looking to replace his old shed — which was about a quarter of the size — for the past three years. Shearing 65,000 sheep nine months of the year, he said the new build would deliver “huge savings” in time and labour, reducing time spent shearing by a third and enabling them to shear all day during the wetter months of the year. “When shearers are here you’re committed all the time,” Mr Bilney said. “So if they’re only here hopefully two days instead of three, we pick up a day where we can do other things. “Last year it got to the point we were losing so much time just trying to shear sheep. When we got into June and July, they couldn’t start until 8.30am because there wasn’t enough dry sheep so if they started at 7.30am they’d have to sit down for an hour in the middle of the day while the other ones dried ...it was taking so long to shear.” However, it’s not a mirror image of the Dubbo shed, with Chad Lavender of Chippy Chad & Co opting for a steel sub-frame instead of timber and raising the shearing platform to 2.7m — about 800mm higher — to allow for a bobcat to drive underneath for cleaning. “All the shearing sheds we’re renovating and doing fix-up jobs on, the substructure is the most compromised by sitting in sheep urine and manure, it’s so corrosive it just eats away the substructure and once they clean it out the floors are falling down in a lot of sheds. “A lot of the old sheds, people are on their hands and knees with a wheelbarrow filling up a bag and dragging the bag out. So this is looking towards the future and maintaining the longevity of the build.” The carpenter, who runs his business with his wife Cheronne, had a team of five working on the build, and said they had also increased the catching pen slopes from 150mm to 300mm and built the shearer’s quarters — which will include toilets, showers, kitchen and a bedroom — upstairs instead of down. “We’ve also added insulation,” Mr Lavender said. “The whole roof is insulated so hopefully that helps them out through summer and we’ll be looking at air-conditioning it as well.” AWI project manager of woolgrower services Henry Ridge hoped the improved work and safety conditions in the AWI design and new sheds across the country would boost staff entry and career longevity in the industry. WA Shearing Industry Association president Darren Spencer agreed.