BIG shearing sheds of 10 stands or more are an extremely rare and a wonderfully co-ordinated workplace to see and hear operating, particularly in a post-COVID shearer shortage era.
So 15 shearers, 11 shed hands, two wool pressers and two wool classers from Jury Shearing working together in a 17-stand shearing shed at Cherylton Farms, Ryansbrook, near Kojonup, on Sunday was something out of the ordinary.
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The Jury team knocked out 3250 well-woolled Merino and Mount Ronan bloodline composite ewes on the day.
They started the annual Cherylton Farms shearing on Saturday, shearing 700 rams in three hours before the wet weather and damp sheep called a halt.
Sunday was a solid day with the big team and on Monday due to other shearing commitments and a funeral, nine shearers worked the Cherylton Farms' main shearing shed.
Lowanna Jury, who runs Jury Shearing, Kojonup, with husband Jason and is Western Australian Shearing Industry Association secretary, said they hoped to finish the shed - about 25,000 sheep out of a total of 30,000 in the Cherylton Farms' flocks - by this weekend.
She said several of the Jury Shearing teams came together to make up Sunday's extra large team.
"I just asked the Wednesday before who wanted to work a big shed at the weekend and we got 16 shearers, but one pulled out sick on the day," Ms Jury said.
"We don't have any other sheds that big - we've got other clients with more than 20,000 sheep, but the biggest sheds are eight-stand - so the team that came together for Sunday all enjoyed working with each other.
"They normally don't get the chance to all work together because they're on different teams working different sheds.
"We're pretty busy this time of year, we haven't had a day off shearing since August 20."
Ms Jury said finding shearers was easier this year and Jury Shearing had 25 working for them.
"For us it's a lot better than the past two years, but it's a hard-work industry so it's always going to be difficult retaining shearers," she said.
Cherylton Farms' two Great Southern properties totalling 8554 hectares and its high performance cropping, sheep and cattle operations have been advertised for sale through specialist real estate firm LAWD.
Expressions of interest, as a going concern on a walk-in, walk-out basis, including current livestock and nine existing staff, close on Thursday, December 1.
Cherylton Farms' manager Mike Cameron said instructions were to "continue operations as normal", so the annual shearing went ahead this week as usual.
"We have been very fortunate to have such professional and dedicated teams shear on the Walter family property," Mr Cameron said.
"Brendan Boyle and his team were of the highest standard and fantastic people to deal with prior to the team wrapping up last year as Brendan focussed 100 per cent on his own farming interests," Mr Cameron said.
"We are incredibly grateful to now have Jurys continue in that high quality manner.
"Lowanna is fantastic to deal with and the transition has been very smooth.
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"All our sheep are going through the shed except for the lamb wethers - they'll be sold with their jackets on.
"It was quite impressive to see 15 shearers and the full complement of shed staff working professionally together on Sunday," he said.
Mr Cameron said the main Cherylton Farms' shearing shed had started out as a five-stand shed and been "retro fitted" to create a 10-stand shed.
A shearing shed from another property was then carefully lifted onto a low loader and moved to the property, positioned beside the 10-stand shed, restumped and joined to it to create the current 17-stand shed.
Mr Cameron congratulated Cherylton Farms' livestock manager Marcelle Harris and her team for having the sheep "in tip top condition".
"The sheep have done well, there was a false start to the season and then a really soft finish," he said.
Cherylton Farms' sheep produce 17-19 micron full-length wools at 90-100 millimetres staple length.
"Julian (Cherylton Farms owner Julian Walter) and I have the utmost respect for the shearing industry and have enjoyed witnessing such professional teams in operation," Mr Cameron said.