The Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA) manages sheep flocks at various Research Facilities throughout the State. These sheep are shorn or crutched as required. The services required may vary from a few experimental sheep mobs at irregular intervals throughout the year to an annual total flock shearing/crutching.

The current total number of the flock at the Research Facilities is approximately 3,000 - 6,000 (this number will vary during the course of a year and from year to year). Crutching usually occurs in March/April and shearing in September/October of each year.