Shearers have begun the first few months of their season with a bang, with consistent work keeping them busy.
It comes as contractors and shearers reap the good result of retention strategies over the last year.
While there are a few issues still testing the sector, it's a far cry from the labour issues a few years ago, according to 40-year veteran shearer Robert 'Bert' Parks.
He said that so far "he's hardly missed a day through all kinds of weather".
"It's just been really good for us and the sheep we have been working on have been really good."
Mr Parks had received consistent work since July, and he expects things to get busier until his regular break towards the end of May.
"It's more spread out now than what it used to be," he said,
"When I started, there was no shearing in the autumn, and we used to go up to just after Christmas and then that'd be it."
The fact that he hasn't had to travel more than an hour for a day's work has been an additional bonus, and he's found younger people have been attracted to such perks too.
"Farmers have kind of had to go that way in recent years... but it is really good for the young fellas who want a good job and good money," he said.
Shearing Contractors Association of Australia secretary Jason Letchford said there was a big turnaround in demand for shearers in the second half of 2023.
"Attraction and retention strategies have been very successful in attracting new entrants," he said.
"More training and higher pay rates have kept more in the industry, along with attracting more seasonal New Zealand and overseas workers."
He said the fall in sheep-meat prices had taken a significant demand out for shearers throughout spring, but a balance was about right for shearers currently.
David Walsh from Hollyvale Kelpies & Contracting, Heathcote said there had still been some occasional struggles with finding labour, but overall, there had been no lack of jobs around
"The industry as a whole has been very busy... there's always the farmers though always chasing people, whether it's stock work or tractor work or whatever," he said.
"I've been doing [shearer contracting work] for about eight years though and things have been getting a bit busier each year."
While it "didn't take much to fill out the week for work" at the moment, he believed more younger people working in the industry would give more certainty for farmers.
"There's probably a good mix of people of all ages shearing right now, but there's probably not quite enough young people yet working in the sector that we'd want."
