In My Paddock - Ben Duxson - "Glendemar", Marnoo, Victoria

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In My Paddock is a new series we will run where we get Agricultural people to write about what's happening on their Farms or in their Ag-related businesses. Hopefully, if we can pin them down, we will get them to write something on a monthly basis.

By Ben Duxson

In My Paddock here at Wallaloo East, all is looking good. We have had some nice recent rain after a bit of a frosty period, and things could not look better. As a sheep producer in a Cropping area, I admire the neighbour's and district's Crops for how they look and the potential they have with the right finishing conditions. 

Lamb marking has been and gone, and percentages were in line with our 5-year average in the low 130%. We will look to wean in the next few weeks, with the oldest Lambs about to hit 12 weeks and the youngest 7 weeks. As we have age scanned, we will look to wean early lambs soon and then the later ones a week or two later.

We have been involved in a small research program trialling fresh and frozen sexed semen. All DNA tests have been taken, and we are eager to see the results of the trial. The technology is obviously used extensively in the Dairy industry but has a great niche in the Sheep industry. We initially wanted to use 2 Rams, both 5-year-old fully proven with high-accuracy ASBV’s. One for reproduction traits, so all female semen, the other all male semen, for several production traits, but also animal welfare traits. So in demand is this technology is in the Dairy industry that we could only use one Ram as machines were fully booked, running 24/7.

Never have we had such great Merino genetics to ride us through this current short downturn. Australian Merino Breeders are at the forefront of technology and data use, to provide the market with a robust combination of genetics for any environment and production system. Below are some of the ASBV’s we use here at Glendemar as part of our breeding objective.  

Production traits; - PWT (Post Weaning Weight), PEMD (Post Weaning Eye Muscle Depth), PFAT (Post Weaning Fat), YCFW (Yearling Clean Fleece Weight), YFD (Yearling Fibre Diameter)  

Animal Welfare and Labour-saving traits; - PWEC (Post Weaning Worm Egg Count), EBWR (Early Breech Wrinkle), EBCOV (Early Breech Cover), LDAG (Late Dag) CS (Ewe Condition Score) 

Reproduction traits; - YCON (Yearling Conception), YLS (Yearling Litter Size), ERA (Ewe Rearing Ability), MBS (Maternal Behaviour), WR (Weaning Rate), PSC (Post Weaning Scrotal Circumference)

Meat Eating Quality traits; - IMF (Intramuscular Fat), SHEARFS (Shear Force), CWT (Carcase Weight), DRESS (Dressing %), LMY (Lean Meat Yield). Plus, processor individual meat-eating quality data that is starting to flow back to producers.

Visual wool traits; - LCOL (Colour) LFROT (Fleece Rot), LCHAR (Character)

Developing traits; - Footrot ASBV’s, Structural ASBV’s.

All of this on a plain body (easy care, low maintenance) non-mulesed Merino Sheep. In tougher times like this, the Merino, with its triple income source of wool, meat and surplus sheep sales, comes into its own. Add on top of that a 5% - 15% - RWS (Responsible Wool Standard) premium, and the modern Merino becomes a very resilient business. 

Opportunities to increase all the above ASBV traits exist in these tougher times. Buying in younger, genetically superior young Ewes, doubling down on Ram purchases, exiting older Rams and having genetically superior younger rams added to the sire battery or using LTEM (Lifetime Ewe Management) or T90 (Towards 90% survival) and increasing production through ewe lamb joining’s and higher weaning rates. Keeping production high will be a key to riding out the tough times and setting your business up to thrive when the good times come roaring back.