MORE than 300 people took the opportunity to check out the innovative features of Glenpadden Farms' Kojonup shearing shed and to see it operating at an open day last Thursday.
"We had so many people here about lunch time that the shearers couldn't get to their stands," said Geoff Bilney who runs Glenpadden Farms with wife Linda who also had input into aspects of the shearing shed design.
"The first comment was usually about the flat board, but when the reasons (rousabouts not at face level to shearing handpieces and not having to stretch to collect fleece, as in a raised board shed) for it were explained, people could understand why we went with a flat board," Mr Bilney said.
"The plastic grid flooring and how well the sheep went down the chute also attracted a lot of interest," he said.
"There were lots of people and lots of questions.
"It didn't really matter to us (he and Linda) whether people came to see it or not, but we think it was worthwhile (holding the open day) because of the number of people who said they gained some ideas from it for what they could do with their own shed."
"Awesome" seemed to be the most common description of the shed from visiting woolgrowers while Farm Weekly was there.
"He's putting the heat on the rest of us, but then we don't shear 70,000 sheep a year," said Woodanilling wool producer Marg Thomson of Mr Bilney and his shed.
Sheep Producers Australia board member and Woodanilling farmer Bindi Murray said she was interested to see how well the flat board worked.
"I think they are safer (than a raised board) for everyone," said Ms Murray who was with husband Hamish.
Presser and penner-up Larry Bowerman, Katanning, pointed out he could keep catching pens filled with sheep on his own.
"In a lot of sheds you need a dog to help pen up, but in this shed I leave the dog at home," Mr Bowerman said.
South Shear Shearing contractor Darren Byrne said the innovative design of the shed saved money.
"I've had six shearers here knocking out (shearing) 1300-1400 sheep a day and because of the horseshoe shape I only need the two girls (rousabouts) to collect the wool and one penner up to keep the sheep up to them - and he's also my presser," Mr Byrne said.
"In sheds with a straight board I'd need one or two more girls so they're not run off their feet and probably another penner-up too," he said.
Builder Chad Lavender of Chippy Chad & Co Construction and Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) industry relations officer Ellie Bigwood also attended the open day.
As previously reported in Farm Weekly, the design of Glenpadden Farms' shearing shed incorporates many of the elements - including the repeatable three-pen and board modular design - from an AWI-funded improved shearing shed design project in New South Wales in 2019.
Glenpadden Farms runs a sheep feedlot operation and more than 30,000 sheep have been shorn in the shed since last November when it was completed.
