CHAPTER XXIV 



SHEEP SHEARING SHEDS AND YARDS 



The author is indebted to Mr. James J. McColl, Government Wool 

 Expert, Natal, for the notes and drawings contained in this chapter, 

 with regard to which Mr. McColl states: — "I may, without egotism, 

 say that the following plans and notes represent the experience gained 

 in thirty years among sheep, in which time the writer has drafted and 

 dipped millions of merino sheep in the earning of his daily bread." 



The wool-shed illustrated by Figs. 203a, b, c, is for six shearers, 

 and is suitable for either hand or machine shearing. 



On the evening preceding, or the morning of, the day's shearing, the 

 sheep are brought in and yarded-up in the holding yards N, N. When 

 shearing is to commence they are forced through the forcing yards 

 Ci, C 2 , C 3 , into the filling-up pens D, D, inside the shed. From the 

 two filling-up pens, the shearer's catching pens E, E, E, are filled with 

 sheep. Two shearers catch out of each pen. On the other side of 

 the shearing-floor are six counting-out pens, one for each shearer. 

 Each man passes the sheep shorn by him into his own counting-out 

 pen. This does away with the " logie " business, and admits of each 

 man's work being examined so that badly shorn or cut sheep can be 

 " spotted," and ascribed to the culpable shearer, even although the 

 superintendent may have to leave the shearing shed at times. At 

 convenient intervals, the sheep in the counting-out pens are counted 

 into the yard A, and each shearer is credited with his correct tally. 



From the counting-out yard A, the shorn sheep, if desired, can 

 be passed to the branding-race, and branded. After having been 

 branded they can be sent into the receiving yard B; or, if it be not 

 desired to brand the sheep, they may be passed direct from the counting- 

 out yard into the yard B, until such time as it may be convenient to 

 take them to their paddock. 



When each sheep has been shorn a " boy " slips along, picks up 



