Gippsland showcases finest sheep

The two-day event displayed some excellent Merino rams that have benefitted from some excellent rain in the Gippland area.

DOUG Pemberton had rams and elite maiden ewes on show at his open day recently, at Nicholson River Merino Stud, Nicholson. “We’re maintaining the good superfine and ultrafine wool in our sheep,” Mr Pemberton said.

“We’re also looking at making the sheep a bit meatier, so we’re breeding a plainer, polled and early maturing sheep, with better eye muscle.”

He hosted a number of regular clients of the stud, who also produce the finer micron wool.

Nicholson River flock averages 16.5-micron.

“It’s lovely draping soft wool,” Mr Pemberton said.

There were a number of young polled rams, used in this year’s AI program, on display.

Doug Pemberton, Nicholson River Merino Stud, had a small number of young rams on show last week, stressing their superfine and bare breech genetics.

THERE was a number of polled and horned rams on show at Pendarra Merino Stud, Benambra.

Pendarra, established in 1990 by Kelvin and Jackie Pendergast as a sister stud to Bindawarra, has recently successfully applied for polled status.

“Clients kept asking me to produce a polled ram and I’ve been playing around with genetics for a while,” Kelvin Pendergast said. “I’m now happy with what I’ve produced and we applied recently for the polled stud to be registered.”

There was a consistent number of visitors throughout the open day, according to Jackie Pendergast.

Most were return customers, with a few new enquiries from northeast and western Victoria among attendees.

BERT Ah Sam had 6kg 18.2-micron fleeces on show at the open day at Round Hill Merino Stud, Omeo.

“The ewes average a 5.5-6kg skirted fleece and some cut seven and 8kg,” Mr Ah Sam said.

The fleeces of bright, white, stylish, free growing soft wool were on show, along with the ribbons won by the stud at the Omeo show.

Using an AI program for sires from Wurrook, as well as rams bought from Banavie (2007), Glenburn (2009) and Nerstane (2011) studs.

Brendan Ah Sam said the stud’s focus was on producing heavy cutting, big framed sheep for both the wool and mutton producer. Among those visitors inspecting rams at Round Hill Merino Stud, Omeo, last week were Paul Mason, Everton, Rex Bennett, Elders Wangaratta, Arthur Bennett, Everton, Mal Nicholls, Elders Bairnsdale and David Hill, Elders Omeo.

IF the wool producing goal is to cut the heaviest fleece possible, visitors were impressed with some of the rams on show at Allan Stewart’s Stockton Merino Stud’s open day. A 26-month-old August-shorn polled ram on show produced an 18.2-micron fleece weighing 11.3kg, at 18 months of age with 12 months wool on him. “The Stockton stud started with a Merryville base and through embryo transfer and AI work during the past 25 years, we’ve developed a sheep for the local area,” said Mr Stewart. “We’ve also been aware of breeding a white, well nourished wool that withstands flies in the summer time. “We look for size and structurally sound sheep, good width and depth, with good hindquarters, to make the cut here.” Ewe flock average fleece clip is 17.7M.

The stud also has an established polled component in its breeding. Allan Stewart, Stockton Merino Stud, had his grandchildren, Jamieson (7), Dusty (5), Matilda (3) and Harry (6), on hand to help at the open day last week. Mr Stewart is holding the ram that produced an 11.3kg fleece.

JOHN Freeman hosted regular and potential clients at The Fringe Merino Stud, Briagolong, at the open day.

He was particularly pleased to show rams from the second drop of lambs bred using Orrie Cowie and Langdene bloodlines.

“I’m keeping the best one to breed from, myself,” Mr Freeman said.

“We are keeping with the superfine to fine fleece with traditional style free growing, nourished long white wool. We’re also working to breed a larger framed body on the sheep, with an extra rib on them if we can. We want them to be upstanding.”

IT was a full shed at Bindawarra Merino Stud’s open day recently, with a large crowd of people visiting throughout the day.

Visitors were from Gippsland and western and northern Victoria. Regular and potential clients were not disappointed, with a range of fleeces on show and both polled and horned rams available to scrutinise.

Principal Steve Harrison continues to enter rams into sire evaluation programs to benchmark traits.

Ram Bindawarra 400, against 170 rams, ranked first on a number of measures.

Progeny of Bindawarra 358 scored the equal heaviest wool cut in the northeast sire evaluation trial.

“These results confirm Bindawarra Merinos are among the best genetics in eastern Australia,” Lisa Harrison said.

“A lot of our clients are interested in production per hectare and their flocks, using our genetics, cut 8kg fleeces without problems,” Steve added.

“We’ll continue to put the best product forward that we can.”