aring . ▁These ▁contract - te ams ▁consist ▁of ▁she ar ers , ▁shed ▁hands ▁and ▁a ▁cook ▁( in ▁the ▁more ▁isolated ▁areas ). ▁Their ▁working ▁hours ▁and ▁w ages ▁are ▁reg ulated ▁by ▁industry ▁awards . ▁A ▁working ▁day ▁starts ▁at ▁ 7 : 3 0 ▁am ▁and ▁the ▁day ▁is ▁divided ▁into ▁four ▁" run s " ▁of ▁two ▁hours ▁each . ▁" Sm oko " ▁breaks ▁are ▁a ▁half - hour ▁each ▁and ▁a ▁l unch ▁break ▁is ▁taken ▁at ▁m idd ay ▁for ▁one ▁hour . ▁Most ▁she ar ers ▁are ▁paid ▁on ▁a ▁piece - rate ▁per ▁sheep . ▁She ar ers ▁who ▁" t ally " ▁more ▁than ▁ 2 0 0 ▁sheep ▁per ▁day ▁are ▁known ▁as ▁" gun ▁she ar ers ". ▁Typ ical ▁mass ▁she aring ▁of ▁sheep ▁today ▁follows ▁a ▁well - defined ▁workflow : ▁▁ ▁remove ▁the ▁w ool ▁▁ ▁throw ▁the ▁fle e ce ▁onto ▁the ▁w ool ▁table ▁▁ ▁sk irt , ▁roll ▁and ▁class ▁the ▁fle e ce ▁▁ ▁place ▁it ▁in ▁the ▁appropriate ▁w ool ▁bin ▁▁ ▁press ▁and ▁store ▁the ▁w ool ▁until ▁it ▁is ▁transport ed . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁Australia ▁became ▁the ▁last ▁country ▁in ▁the ▁world ▁to ▁permit ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁wide ▁comb s , ▁due ▁to ▁previous ▁Australian ▁Work ers ' ▁Union ▁rules . ▁Although ▁they ▁were ▁once ▁rare ▁in ▁sh eds , ▁women ▁now ▁take ▁a ▁large ▁part ▁in ▁the ▁she aring ▁industry ▁by ▁working ▁as ▁press