Glendemar MPM July Newsletter

Glendemar MPM July 2025 Newsletter - By Ben Duxson

 

Welcome to another addition of the Glendemar MPM newsletter.  Thanks to all that provided feedback, it makes putting the newsletter out and stating some opinions worthwhile.  If you think I am out of order (quite often) pull me up and let me know.

 

Feedback – John Fry who farms at Wirrega between Bordertown and Keith.  John points out that he farms in the 90 Mile desert - which I never knew existed- google it if you like.  John “Good Morning Ben, just read your May newsletter and I’m feeling so uplifted that I will try and hang in there with the sheep”.  Thanks John and I think anyone sticking with sheep will be well rewarded.  Now there has been rain in Victoria, SA and Southern NSW a big spring will provide dividends.

 

And here it comes – The Sheep Industry is roaring back into exciting times. In a very short time, we have seen the price per kg of all sheep meat increase considerably. This will soon translate into surplus ewe sales.  I have previously stated that there is a considerable liquidation of our ewe base.  WA have offloaded – an essential supply in a rebuild in the east – and many young ewe lambs have been sold into the white-hot market now.  With rain in the south, we keep our fingers crossed that it keeps coming, prices should hold high for all sheep breeders to get a “lick of the ice-cream” at some stage in the short term.  Big boost in the arm to all that have persevered through a market correction in prices, but not in inputs.

Welcome to the Sheep Breeders CLUB – I say that as a general term, but believe that our industry is in generational change, and most of you are in the breeding space.  I have written on my thoughts of the industry heading to breeders, backgrounders and finishes before.  

 

Sheep Breeder Club members are those that are still in the game, love the game, have passion for the products they grow.  Wool growing, back in the golden days, but still now, is an industry that sparks a lot of passion. Growing that magnificent fleece, white, bright, deep crimp – you know the ones I am talking about – seeing it on the animal or the wool table sparks instant gratification.  

 

The industry has moved from the golden era of wool production to an industry dominated by sheep meat and surplus sheep sales.  This being the case, and for many years now, Glendemar MPM’s #1 productivity trait is lambing percentage.  Produce more, sell more, simple.

 

Breeding is the area we deal with most as a seedstock producer.  To me this is the area with the most skills required, the most levers to pull, the skills required are unique and not ones I think all farmers want to deal with.  From ram selection, conception, condensed joining’s, balancing nutritional needs, pregnancy scanning, lambing paddocks, stocking rates, pasture allocation, lamb survival, marking, weaning, feeding, shearing etc there are skills that require a lot of attention to detail.  At the end of the day, it needs to be profitable.  Having great infrastructure, good laneway setups, good dogs, great handling facilities, labour saving genetics, low stress stock handling skills, productive pastures and a passion for pulling all of this together needs a lot of passion, commitment and reward.  Technology advancements will come and go but the core of sheep breeding sits in the above and it is a skill set that less farmers are willing to take up, with the rewards set for those that do.

 

Short term opportunity - EWE LAMB JOININGS – This should be front and centre of your thinking in how to capture some of the low hanging fruit with current sheep prices.  It is a practice that we all need to get good at to maximise our profitability.  20 years in and we are nowhere near perfecting it.  Last week we scanned just 19% in lamb once of our worst results for the past 10 years.  It was all nutrition or lack of, that is usually the number one trait that makes it a success or not.  Joining weight when the rams go in is critical, 80% of adult weight is the target for a great result.  There is certainly genetics in play and ASBV’s have a role, with high fat, muscle and post weaning weight key traits.  New reproductive traits also play a role.

 

As a producer I would say the number 1 thing you can do is get the nutrition right.  Get them heavy, get them cycling and increase body weight and condition through to lambing and the results will come.  Use teasers or leave the rams in an extra few weeks, as they normally don’t cycle without this intervention. Use high numbers of rams (buy more at our sale in October, ha-ha obvious plug).

 

You will be amazed at the transformation of the ewes about 6 weeks prior to lambing.  Their mothering ability is second to none, milk supply great.  Low birth weight lambs that still grow very quick.  It’s a numbers game remember, always have plenty to sell.  Happy to chat to anyone that is interested, you all have the genetics to make it work.

 

Reactional Farming – making decision’s in hast, but without knowledge is a dangerous thing to do.  I am reminded of this in a season like one we have just come through.  About 20 years ago we had planted some Phalaris as an improved pasture.  Ready for grazing we put some young sheep out on the new pasture.  Next day we go out and find about 80 dead, Phalaris poisoning.  Reaction was to spray Phalaris out and get rid of it.  Of course it wasn’t the Phalaris fault it was our management.  We have permanent Phalaris pastures that are probably our most productive pastures.  This year is a classic case, a little rain in March, few little follow ups and our Phalaris pastures where green and around 1500kg DM in middle of June, enough to lamb all our stud ewes on, coming out of containments.  Unfortunately, none of the rest of the farm has too much grass and all flock ewes are lambing on bugger all.  All lambs still in containment.

 

Going the extra mile # 1– I was reminded the other day of one of the practices, that used a lot of labour for probably not much reward. In the paddock I found the remnants of an old sheep coat. For memory I think at the peak we put about 500 of these on, and when the wool grew, we had to get them in and open them up a little.  Can never remember getting paid anymore for the wool, just cost us more to do.

 

Going the extra mile # 2 – No good with years but in the early 2000’s we did for 3 years running a cervical AI program, using the very best rams we had at the time.  Would have been between 2000 – 3000 ewes, depending on our AI and ET programs at the time. This was a lot of extra work.  We employed a NZ sheep company, who sent all the gear and technician over.  We had built the AI centre, so collection was easy.  Putting harnesses on, drafting twice a day and mustering and keeping ewes close to yards was a big job, but this time it was very rewarding.  Set our ewe base up for many years to come with new traits that we didn’t even know would be good for us.  It was the start of ASBV’s being used and we did have rams with excellent muscle and fat.  

 

I do remember it was a lot of fun as well.  Wally O’Connor was down and the late Paddy Brosnan for one of these programs, being summer and hot the days where long but the beers very rewarding at the end of the day and plenty of laughter.

 

News Flash – Just heard this morning that there is a prediction of mutton going to $9:50 kg this spring.

 

Observation # 1 – In Queensland recently and would say 80% of kids now get around on e-bikes or e-scooters.

 

Observation # 2 – In Melbourne for a couple of days.  It is new to me from out in the country on farm, but the amount of food delivery bikes and the likes is staggering.  I read somewhere that restaurants can have up to 70% of their meals as delivery meals.  Might be an opportunity to do pre-cooked meals into the city??

Plug – Tom Austin book The Longest Drive.  Recounts the story of a sheep drive from his forefather’s property at Rich Avon (between Marnoo and Donald) to Avon Downs on the Barkley Tableland of Northern Territory. There is some fascinating history of the early settler’s time, gold rush period and the trials and tribulations of early pioneers.  A great read.  PS I am more of a Podcast listener now than reading, but on holiday’s an interesting book is awesome.