SHEEP producers could make shearing a lot easier for themselves this season by ensuring they're using the correct comb for their particular breed of sheep.

And according to the British Wool Marketing Board's shearing manager Colin MacGregor, it's something that should be a vital part of the timely pre-shearing maintenance check of all shearing gear.

"There are various bevels of the combs and different thicknesses of teeth that can make all the difference to the way sheep are sheared. Get it right and the job will be done faster and more efficiently," says Mr MacGregor.

He's keen to encourage greater awareness of well maintained shearing gear this season and for sheep producers to make sure they're using the correct comb for their particular breed.

"A lot of people are shearing sheep with the wrong type of comb and with cutters that haven't been properly maintained over the winter. This affects the sharpness of the gear and the way the comb runs through the wool.

"And if there are bits of rust on the combs it means they'll pull and tug at the wool and that makes shearing the sheep all that much harder and requiring far more physical effort on the part of the shearer."

Mr MacGregor says the success of the Wool Board's shearing courses has made more sheep producers aware of the advantages of using well maintained shearing gear. But there are still many farmers who are struggling unnecessarily because of neglected hand pieces, cutters and combs.

"A farmer shearing Suffolk-cross ewes in late May - and say that the weather has become colder - needs a 4.5mm-5mm bevelled comb. Move on to the moors in July, shearing well-fleshed Swaledales and a 3.5mm bevelled comb would give the best results.

"Every farmer shearing his own sheep can make life easier for himself with the right comb. I don't want to be punching the wool off sheep in mid-May, say Suffolks or Hampshires, with a 3mm comb. Some people try it but making this sort of fundamental mistake just makes the job very hard work."

As a guide to sheep producers, the higher the number of the comb's bevel the longer and "sledgier" it is and the easier it enters the fleece. The denser the wool the greater the need for a comb with a higher bevel number.

"Selecting the correct bevel number isn't an exact science. The weather in the two weeks prior to shearing undoubtedly has an effect on the way the wool comes off, but any sheep producer should be able to make an assessment once the first few sheep are shorn. If it's really hard work the combs should be changed."

Comb width also has an effect. As a general rule the earlier in the season the clip the narrower the comb needs to be. Open fleeces where the wool is well on the rise require a wider comb.

The British Wool Marketing Board's gear maintenance courses have become increasingly popular and are considered by many producers to have been an essential foundation before attending actual shearing skills courses.

"We're keen to encourage even more sheep farmers to come on one of our gear maintenance courses. They really do provide essential advice that can be put to practical use on the shearing courses.

"The comment we hear most from farmers on the course is - I wish I'd been on this course years ago. Understanding the gear can do such a lot towards mastering the skills of shearing," says Colin MacGregor.