Shearer Kaikuti Hipi

Shearers cut the wool from sheep with clippers.

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Shearers may do some or all of the following:

  • catch sheep from a catching pen
  • move sheep out of the catching pen to a shearing stand
  • shear wool off in a set pattern of strokes
  • release sheep into a counting-out pen
  • clean combs and cutters and sharpen them.

Physical Requirements

Shearers need to have: 

  • excellent fitness and health and must be strong
  • good hand-eye co-ordination.

Useful Experience

Useful experience for shearers includes work on farms or jobs that involve handling animals.

Personal Qualities

Shearers need to be:

  • safety-conscious
  • hard-working
  • reliable
  • good at using and caring for equipment.

Skills

Shearers need to have knowledge of:

  • how to catch and handle sheep
  • how to hold sheep for shearing
  • proper sheep lifting and moving techniques 
  • good shearing techniques
  • how to use and maintain clippers
  • what type of equipment to use in certain conditions.

Conditions

Shearers:

  • usually work eight or nine hours a day and sometimes work weekends
  • travel each day to a shearing shed, and sometimes stay in shearing quarters
  • work in busy and noisy shearing sheds
  • work mainly during peak shearing times from November to March and from July to September.

Shearers can earn around $47K-$65K per year.

Pay for shearers varies depending on skills, experience and the number of sheep shorn.

  • Shearers usually earn about $195 for every 100 sheep they shear. 
  • Shearers with up to three years' experience can shear up to 200 sheep a day and earn $47,000 to $65,000 a year.
  • Shearers with more than three years' experience can shear between 200 and 400 sheep a day and earn between $65,000 and $130,000 a year.

Source: New Zealand Shearing Contractors Association, 2019.

Shearers may progress to organising shearing gangs as shearing contractors. 

Years Of Training

There are no specific entry requirements to become a shearer as you gain skills on the job. However, a New Zealand Certificate in Shearing – Blade/Crossbred/Fine (Level 4) may be useful.

Shearer