ONE OF the smaller selection of rams to participate in the Gippsland ram sale will come from Nicholson River Merino stud, run by Doug, Lou, Hugh and Kate Pemberton at Nicholson.
The stud, running 8000 head during summer, regularly finishes in the top three of the Gippsland wether production trial.
Doug Pemberton's focus is scientific in nature, with his background as a veterinarian specialising in artificial breeding.
He is committed to producing superfine wool, irrespective of the market returns, but acknowledges the importance of carcase size led him to change his breeding four years ago.
"It's become financially unsustainable to grow fine and superfine wool," Mr Pemberton said.
"We changed our breeding four years ago, because the most profitable sheep farmers grow dual-purpose sheep – producing meat and wool.
"We began selecting rams and ewes to produce heavier lambs, with plain bodies, bare breeches, low faecal egg counts and that don't scour. But we wanted to keep the beautiful wool."
That focus has paid off, with Mr Pemberton selling 50 bales of 15-16 micron wool to Schneiders and New England Wool, destined for Italy to make high quality suits.
His flock produces fleeces that range from 14-16.5M wool.
His goal is to "produce a superfine sheep that you can sell the wethers at 12 months."
He has also begun breeding polls.
Trevor Howden of Glenaladale has been using Nicholson River rams for 11 years, over his self-replacing flock, averaging 17M fleeces.
He is pleased with the mothering, lambing and wool production.
"They produce magnificent wool," said Mr Howden, whose focus has always been on producing fine and superfine wool.
He recently sold a line of 17M wool, with a 72.4 per cent yield, for 930 cents a kilogram.
With this past season being hard on stock, after a bushfire that burnt his best summer pastures, his fleece weight has fallen to 4-5kg this year.
His eight-month-old weaners produced 15.5M fleeces, with a combing length of 65 millimetres.
Mr Howden also produces crossbred lambs for the fat market, joining Merino ewes to a Border Leicester ram.
His lambing rates are 100-130pc for the crossbreds and 60-70pc for the Merino flock.
"While Doug's rams are not a really big sheep, they do produce good ewes and lambs," he said.
"Doug's rams fleeces been getting finer as the years go on and we're following him.
"We'll stick with them because when you feed them well and you get a good season, they produce quality wool."
* Nicholson River will offer rams at the Gippsland Merino sale at the Bairnsdale Aerodrome on September 2.
- Full Gippsland Merino ram sale preview in the Stock & Land August 21 edition
