Article summary: The BKB Merino Classic and the BKB National Merino Fleece Show (11–12 Sep 2025 at NAMPO Cape, Bredasdorp Park) are a timely reminder that “shed results” are really “paddock results”. This article explains, in practical terms, how abrupt feed changes, short feed gaps, and stress events show up as tender or inconsistent wool, what the main September risks are in South Africa, and how pasture trend visibility (including satellite-backed covers) helps smooth nutrition and protect fleece outcomes.
At the BKB Merino Classic and the National Merino Fleece Show, the best fleeces look effortless. But that “effortless” fleece was built one bite at a time, over months, by the choices made in the paddock. The events run 11–12 September 2025 at NAMPO Cape (Bredasdorp Park), putting wool quality and grazing management on the same stage.
Here’s the key idea that links them:
Wool quality rewards even nutrition. Not perfect nutrition, just even.
When nutrition swings hard, wool can swing with it. Inconsistent feeding can drive fluctuations in fibre diameter and staple strength, increasing the risk of “tender” wool.
What “even nutrition” means in paddock terms
Even nutrition is not a fancy ration. It’s the practical reality that the sheep’s diet does not repeatedly lurch between:
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short feed and long feed
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low quality and high quality
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stressed and settled
Rapid changes in feed level can trigger rapid changes in fibre diameter along the staple, which is one of the pathways to reduced staple strength.
So your job, especially through September, is to smooth the peaks and troughs.
The three grazing mistakes that most often show up in the wool
1) Short feed gaps that keep happening
It is rarely one bad day. It’s a pattern: a few days short, a few days recovered, then short again.
What it looks like on farm:
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rotation gets too fast to “find feed”
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residuals get tighter
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the low end of the platform keeps getting lower
Why it matters: low nutrition reduces wool growth and can thin fibre, and repeated swings create variability that can weaken the staple.
2) Abrupt feed changes (the “step change”)
Classic scenario: sheep come off a short paddock and hit a lush flush, or you make a sudden ration change.
Practical takeaway: make transitions gradual where you can. Sudden switches can increase the risk of tender wool.
3) Stress events that steal intake (even if pasture is there)
Cold snaps, storms, transport, and parasite burdens can all drop intake and performance. In wet conditions, acute parasite outbreaks can be associated with wool breaks as animals become severely affected.
A September seasonal risk list (South Africa) and what to do about it
September is often “changeable”: spring can arrive fast, then stall. That’s exactly when wool gets tested.
Spring flush (sudden growth and quality changes)
Aim: avoid a dramatic step-up in diet. Use tighter allocation and keep a buffer so the flock doesn’t go from restricted to unlimited overnight.
Storms and cold fronts (intake dips, paddock damage risk)
Aim: keep sheep settled with reliable access to feed and shelter options, and avoid forcing long walks for water or feed during bad weather.
Parasite pressure (especially as conditions warm and wet spells hit)
Aim: stay ahead of the risk with monitoring and timely action. Severe impacts can create stress and production losses, including wool breaks in acute cases.
Sudden growth slow-downs (temperature drops, dry spells, cloudy weeks)
Aim: slow the rotation early (before you see animals slip), protect residuals, and use supplement to hold the pasture base rather than “chasing” the farm down.
The simplest “wool-friendly” grazing plan: smooth the diet, protect the base
If you want a practical plan that fits commercial reality, focus on these three rules:
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Protect residuals to protect regrowth
If you graze too hard, you borrow from next month and create a bigger feed gap later. -
Use supplement as a shock absorber, not a crutch
The point is to prevent sharp nutritional dips (and avoid panic moves), while giving pasture time to recover. -
Make changes in steps, not cliffs
When pasture availability jumps or falls, aim for gradual transitions in allocation and diet.
Pasture.io tie-in: use trend visibility to avoid sharp nutritional swings
The biggest enemy of wool consistency is being surprised. Pasture trend visibility helps you see the squeeze coming early enough to do a small correction instead of a big one.
A simple weekly Pasture.io rhythm:
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Update paddock covers (satellite-backed where available, plus any ground truth you use)
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Check the feed wedge to plan the next grazings and avoid “best guess” moves
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Watch average cover and growth vs demand trends to spot drift early and respond with rotation speed, buffer feed, or stocking decisions
When you can see the trend, you spend less time second-guessing paddock choices, and you avoid the sharp dietary swings that show up later in the clip.
The takeaway
The shed can only reveal what the paddock created. If you want sounder, more consistent wool, September is a great time to tighten the basics: avoid repeated feed gaps, avoid abrupt feed changes, and use pasture visibility to keep nutrition even.
- The Dedicated Team of Pasture.io, 2025-09-18