WINTER CLEANING OF PASTURES AND SHEARING REDUCES SEED CONTAMINATION IN LAMBSKINS

2, respectively). Lambs that were unshorn and grazed the unsprayed pasture had a significantly greater (P<0.05) number of grass seeds in the flesh side of the skin compared with the unshorn lambs on sprayed pasture, shorn lambs on unsprayed pasture and the shorn lambs on sprayed pasture (42.8, 7.2, 3.0 and 1.6 seeds/dm 2 , respectively). Skins from shorn lambs had a significantly lower (P<0.025) number of seeds in the flesh side of the skin compared with those that were unshorn (2.3 vs 25.0 seeds/dm 2 , respectively). Skins from lambs that grazed the sprayed pastures had significantly less (P<0.04) seed in the flesh side of the skin compared with those that grazed the unsprayed pastures (4.4 vs 22.9 seeds/dm 2 , respectively). There was no significant difference in the commercial woolskin grades for the shorn lambs that had been grazing either the sprayed or unsprayed pasture. A significantly greater (P<0.002) proportion of pelts from lambs that grazed the unsprayed pasture were graded thirds due to seed damage than those from lambs on sprayed pasture (40.0 vs 3.5%, respectively). Winter cleaning of pasture, by herbicide application, is an alternative to shearing for reducing seed contamination and can increase the marketing options for lambskins. Shearing prior to grazing of pasture entering the seed set phase is the most effective means of reducing seed contamination of lambskins. Winter cleaning also reduces seed contamination of lambskins but not to the same extent as shearing.