Student research investigates impact of sheep shearing

Posted 19 February 2015

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Does sheep shearing affect the growth and quality of prime lambs, is the question being raised by a final year student at Harper Adams University.

BSc (Hons) Agriculture student Craig Massie is hoping to determine how shearing affects the daily liveweight gain, fat class and conformation of lambs, and if this information can be used by farmers to increase profit margins.

The 22-year-old has chosen to research the subject for his dissertation, conducting the trial at his mixed family farm in Church Eaton, Staffordshire, which includes a flock of 600 ewes.

Craig said: “After selecting a group of prime lambs, I sheared half and used the other half as a control group.

“These were then weighed weekly to estimate the daily liveweight gain. After slaughter, I collected the slaughter data which included the fat class and conformation information.

“Sheep production in the UK is stratified, which may result in farmers struggling to meet the lamb specifications required for the market.

“If my research can help farmers to meet these specifications, then hopefully my work will not only indicate whether shearing does have a benefit or not, but also be a simple means of improving profit margins.”

Having collected the data, Craig is currently analysing and interpreting the results, which will be available later this year.

After graduation in September, Craig plans to return to the family farm to work alongside his dad, uncle and cousin. He hopes to expand the sheep enterprise to ensure a sustainable future for the family business.