Year 9 Ag Crutches Sheep

Year 9 Agriculture students have been rolling their sleeves up to take on one of the dirtiest jobs in the school – crutching sheep.

Crutching sheep occurs every autumn. It involves shearing the wool from a sheep’s hindquarters and from the top of the sheep’s head. Though somewhat unpleasant for the sheep (and the shearer), it is essential for their health as it prevents blowfly strike and issues with the sheep’s eyes.

The students did a fantastic job crutching the sheep under Agriculture teacher Mark Duncan’s guidance. They rolled their sleeves up and weren’t squeamish in the slightest. That said, the sheep didn’t exactly volunteer to be crutched and didn’t step up to the platform without a fight.

Year 9 will continue to study animal husbandry and the care of livestock throughout the term.