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Merino Milestones
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Members are invited to submit 'good news' stories, particularly about their clients, that highlight recorded achievements and illustrate the economic viability of the Modern Merino.
28 October 2004
The 2004 Rabobank Landmark Australian Supreme Merino, a May ‘02 ram from Robert Harding’s Glendonald stud, Nhill, Vic, (also supreme at Bendigo, Hay and Adelaide) topped the Objective Measurement Class at this year’s Adelaide Show. In a convincing win, the Australian Supreme with liveweight of 177 kg, cut 23.4 kg of 19.6 micron wool (12-months growth) with a Comfort Factor of 99.1, muscle depth 42 mm and fat depth 4 mm. This was the fourth time Glendonald has won this class and for the last two years, 3 of the top 4 placings have been on Glendonald blood.
14 October 2004
Overheard at the recent Jerilderie Sale where surplus young Merino ewes topped at $166, “Who would have thought that one Merino ewe would be worth more than a tonne of wheat, and a cull ewe at that, and as well she has already had $40 worth of wool taken off.”
30 September 2004
Tops around $170 - $180 for young Merino ewes was the trend at a number of sales last week. At the Condobolin Merino Sheepbreeders Annual Surplus Sale last Thursday, the range of light unshorn lambs to good heavy joinable 1½ year-olds, averaged $118. With the inclusion of wethers and older ewes, the sale averaged $87, topping at $146 for Laurie & Tony Magill of “Overland” with a pen of 210 Roseville Park blood, April ’03 Merino ewes, off shears.
16 September 2004
From March to July, F S Falkiner & Son, Deniliquin sold a whopping 6123 wethers for an average return of $67. All were June-July ’03 drop, March shorn, straight from the paddock. Meanwhile their Boonoke Supreme Exhibit from the recent National Ram Show in Dubbo (also champion medium wool at Sydney), has been shorn of a 17 kg, 20.4 micron fleece, with matching fleece weight for their Dubbo and Sydney grand champion strong wool 20 micron ram.
2 September 2004
Bred in the ‘Purple’. Is there a Merino Milestone that supercedes that set last week at the Rabobank National Ram Show when Auchen Dhu Park’s grand champion ewe became the first to win the same title at Sydney, Bendigo and Dubbo (and Supreme at Bendigo and Dubbo) in the one year? The 16.4 micron ewe weighs 100 kg in full wool and cuts 9 kg of wool. It is also noted that the August-shorn ewe is a granddaughter of Auchen Dhu Minister, Supreme Australian Ram of 1996.
19 August 2004
In late July, Haddon Rig at Warren reported the sale of 210 young wethers, June-July ’03 drop, March shorn, for $125.
5 August 2004
Another Merino Record. Yet another saleyard record has been broken. This time at Forbes saleyard in mid-July when Kevin and Glen Rubie, trading as Lachlan Merinos, realised $128 for a pen of 11-month-old Merino lambs. The price was impressive, even for Merino lambs, as the Roseville Park/Charinga blood lambs were off-shears.
22 July 2004
Merino Resilience. Born in drought conditions and on maintenance rations until cutting their teeth, 175 wethers, ‘02 drop, recently fetched $115 in Dubbo. Bred by Simon & Deb Ibbott, “Thurloo”, Coonamble, the Wyuna-blood wethers were a massive 65-75 kg liveweight. The Ibbotts also realised $102 for July-Aug ‘03 drop Merino lambs, 53 kg liveweight.
8 July 2004
The Value of the good Merino ewe. The operations of Laradoc P/L of Mathoura testify to the importance of the Merino ewe in a successful sheep enterprise. Willandra-blood ewes are joined to $800 grade B/L rams for Autumn lambing with percentages from 109 to 115 per cent. The 6-mth-old ewe lambs are sold at the Bendigo 1st X Ewe lamb sale in late Spring and last year created a record at $178 per head. The brothers sold over the hook with dressed weight of 29 to 46 kg and returned $109.40. Ross Wells, Willandra, Jerilderie said, “With a big framed Merino ewe as a base, they got the bonus of 8 kg of 22 – 24 micron wool returning $40 to $50 p/h for the fleece.”
24 June 2004
Export quality fat Merino lambs have been topping from $103 to $113 at Forbes Midstate sales during June. At one of these, Tony and Rhonda Milgate, "Rockvale", Parkes, sold a pen of Haddon Rig blood 1-y-o off shears that topped at $107.60.
Last week, Peter and Marcia Wienke, "Kurrajong Vale", Girral, sold lambs dressing 23 kg to a record $113. Livestock agent, Geoff Chandler of Kevin Miller & Co, said "in the last 10 years we have seen some tremendous strategies employed by Merino breeders - those who breed a self replacing Merino flock can do a magnificent job with their Merino wether lambs. Last week, Merino lambs, only just making tradeweight, but supplementary fed on grain, made up to $90 with an average weight of only 19.5 kg."
17 June 2004
At Wagga Wagga, Neil Roberson, "Fairview", Mangoplah sold 100 lambs, Jul/Aug '03 drop, March shorn ($15 wool cut), Ninuenook blood, for $129.
17 June 2004
Mick and Wendy Inder, "Wattle Grove", Dunedoo sold July/Aug ‘03 drop wethers off shears at Dunedoo on 9 June topping at $100 to average $93 to Southern Meats, estimated to dress 24 kg. On Langdene blood, the lambs cut a 5.2 kg average of 19 micron wool.
10 June 2004
CONFIDENCE IN MERINOS - Barry and Gavin Walker, “Ledgerton”, Yass sold 4000 superfine ewes at $125 per head for use as the buyer’s foundation breeding flock. The October-shorn mixed-ages ewes were sold in lamb in a deal brokered by Landmark Copeland Medway, Yass.