Glossary of Terms

AWEX ID VM type. The hooked spines strongly attach to the Bathurst Burr to wool. However, the burr is easily removed during processing because the spines break off. In many cases these burrs float off in the scouring process.

Wool shorn from the stomach of the sheep.

Dedicated storage section found in shearing sheds and wool stores for a line of wool prior to pressing.

Fibres that grow from one staple to another holding the fleece together.

The principle of safeguarding the health of livestock and preventing the introduction of new diseases or infections. Measures taken to maintain the health of a flock / herd. Related term: quarantine.

Dark pigmented wool (grey or black).

A textile containing two or more different fibres, variants of the same fibre or different colours and grades of the same fibre. Merino may be blended with cotton, silk, nylon, polyester, or viscose.

The stroke the shearer makes with the handpiece when removing the wool from the sheep.

Area used for shearing the sheep in a shearing shed.

AWEX ID VM Type. Bogan Flea initially forms as a spherical cluster of many seeds, about 5mm in diameter. Once on the sheep the cluster usually breaks up causing dense matting of the wool.

When different mobs of sheep are mixed together.

(1) The markings on a bale of wool used for identification. (2) Mark placed on the sheep for identification using branding fluid  needs to be removed from fleece as it prevents uniform dye uptake during processing.

A temporary interference with the growth of the wool, causing a marked thinning or cessation of wool growth of all or a proportion of the fibre population, and producing distinct (often visible) weakness in one part of the staple. A window or clear break in the wool is an extreme form of low staple strength and may be caused by the same factors causing low staple strength, for example, sudden changes in pasture, lack of feed or water, sickness, lambing or faulty dipping.

This is the area around the back of the sheep's tail and down the back of the hind legs. Breech wool is removed during crutching to prevent fly-strike.

The area of the sheep immediately in front of the front legs.