Housed Sheep

The housed sheep industry began in the early 1970s when Mr Wallace Reynolds, a grazier at ‘Sharlea’, Horsham, Victoria and Tom Harmsworth, the Director of the Melbourne College of Textiles noticed that animals kept in sheds for drought-feeding produced an extremely high quality fibre, free from many wool faults found in grazing sheep (Cottle, 1991).

The industry gradually increased in popularity until 1990 where there were approximately 55 sheds each with an average of 300 sheep, producing a total of 250 bales per year (Cottle, 1991).

There are approximately 40 ultra fine wool housing systems in Australia, which are concentrated in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland involving an estimated 25 000 sheep. Ultra fine merino wool is a luxury fibre used in the manufacture of high quality fashion garments.

Ensuring positive animal welfare outcomes is an essential element of all housed sheep producers enterprise. Subsequently, WPA in conjunction with key industry bodies Sharlea Society of Australia, Australian Superfine Wool Growers Association, Australian Association of Stud Merino Breeders, state farmer organisations and housed sheep producers have developed a Code of Practice for the Welfare of Sheep Housed for Wool Production. The code demonstrates the industry’s commitment to the welfare of sheep and is an good information source for producers.

Code of Practice for the Welfare of Sheep Housed for Wool Production

Further information:
Sharlea Sheep Society