Katrina BRANDON
YOUR average lawnmower isn’t as simple as you think.
Nyora sheep shearer, Chloe Dann or Chloe the Shearer, is hosting an opportunity for hobby farmers to learn more about their sheep.
Running events free of charge for attendees all over Gippsland, Chloe wants to address the educational aspect of sheep, noting that sheep are not maintenance-free but low-maintenance, since they are often bought as “lawnmowers”.
“I am a small mob shearer. Through working with hobby farmers, I have really learned there is a massive gap in the education,” Chloe told the Gippsland Farmer.
“There is a gap in the very basic education that people don’t know. There are huge amounts of losses through things because they don’t know the symptoms of parasites or mismanagement regarding their land – it’s never-ending.
“Sheep really get the short end of the stick. People get them as a lawnmower. They think they are no-maintenance, but they can be very low-maintenance. You still need to know a few things.”
Chloe has previously run two other seminars, including one in Bass, where she saw up to 50 people turn up to learn the basics of sheep. During the event, she enjoyed discussing with attendees the different things sheep need, such as elaborating on things they might know.
Prior to the seminars and her shearing business, Chloe had no experience with sheep.
Working part-time at Phillip Island Nature Parks as a Farm Assistant on Churchill Island, which features shearing demonstrations, Chloe hoped to work there full-time, but because she was unable to shear at the time, she could not be employed full-time.
Unable to find a shearer, the Farm talked to Chloe about completing a shearing course in Hamilton. Taking the opportunity, Chloe completed her Certificate 2 in Shearing, worked for them for about eight years, and later managed the farm.
“It’s funny. I had literally nothing to do with sheep until I was 27,” she said.
“When I first started at Churchill Island, it was there that I learnt that sheep were super cool animals, and then seeing them get the short end of the stick and the mismanagement just through lack of understanding, became something I was really passionate about.
Chloe’s long-term goal is to help hobby farmers and small mob owners understand the symptoms and how to manage conditions such as Barber’s Pole (a highly fatal, blood-sucking parasite found in the stomachs of sheep, especially in warm, moist climates), and then pass that knowledge on to others.
Other things Chloe highlighted are that some hobby farmers choose breeds such as Dorpers, as most are self-shedders, but she said they don’t realise they aren’t suited to the climate in Gippsland, since they are originally from South Africa. This means they are prone to cracked feet and parasites.
“I spend a huge amount of time working with Dorper owners,” she said.
“I’d say about 75 per cent of the time, they’re going to have a lot of trouble with their feet and not shed their wool, which is fine if they end up with an owner who does something about it. But I’ve seen I do a lot of jobs where the sheep haven’t been shown for five or six years, and it is really frustrating.”
Keeping animal welfare in mind, Chloe sends out reminders to clients about shearing. Unfortunately, Chloe has seen severely neglected sheep and has had to call the authorities to check on them.
She said that even at some jobs, it can be quite difficult, as some don’t understand the state of their sheep, and she ends up having to discuss their animals’ welfare with the client.
When driving past properties, Chloe said that when she sees a farm with a flock that needs tending, she often leaves a card in their letterbox, as they might not have found a shearer yet.
“I’m not trying to pick up clients or anything like that. I’ve got a huge client base already,” she said.
“It’s just about improving animal welfare across the state. Because it is in the hobby farm space, it is really lacking.”
Chloe also maintains a shearer directory on her website to help those in need find a shearer.
Going into the farming industry, Chloe suggests that hobby farmers have a plan for their sheep, knowing whether they are going to be lawnmowers, for selling lambs, or for producing their own meat, as well as researching the breeds before purchasing.
For more information, go to https://chloetheshearer.com/
