THIRD generation farmer Greg Holcombe and his brother Michael have devoted the past 30 years to turning off high quality lambs, but it's a business choice that's been - for the most part - profitable.
Each year, the brothers buy up to 400 Border Leicester-Merino (BLM) ewe lambs to add to their 3500-strong flock on their Byaduk farm.
The Holcombes prefer to select their replacements from Naracoorte's, South Australia, annual first-cross sale in November, and have rarely strayed from tradition - apart from two years in the mid-90s when the ewes got too expensive.
"We like the big, long Border Leicester-Merino ewes, with good stretch and nice big bones," Greg said.
"And you get those out of South Eastern South Australia."
Picking the right first-cross ewe is a talent that's possibly been passed down to the brothers from their father Roger, who retired about 10 years ago.
"He (Roger) has a good eye for stock and I like to think that's something we've learned from him," Greg said.
The farm is now run in partnership, (trading as Camp Creek), by Greg and his wife Susanne, as well as Michael and his wife Robyn.
Last year the family paid $170 a head for about 450 March-April-drop BLM ewe lambs, a price slightly above their usual budget.
"We bit the bullet and decided to pay a bit more for heavier lambs," Greg said.
The decision has already paid off, because those maiden ewes achieved a lambing percentage of 138 per cent - about 10-15pc higher than other years.
After the ewes are purchased in November, they are joined to White Suffolk rams on March 1 at 11-12 months of age to lamb down in August.
The older ewes are joined to Poll Dorset rams in January for a July lambing.
The July-drops are grown out to 23-25 kilogram dressed weight and sold via the Hamilton prime sales prior to Christmas.
But this spring has been one of the driest Greg has witnessed for a long time, and he expects the weights to be back by 1-2kg as a result.
"This year has been tough … we've had no rain since the start of August," he said.
After never having to buy in feed for his stock, Greg bought his first truckload this week.
"We've just got to make some decisions in the next two to three weeks, but we will get by," he said.
The older lambs are still in good shape thanks to a favourable winter, so the brothers are hopeful they will attract a good price at market.
"We generally sell two thirds of the lambs before Christmas," he said.
"Last year those older lambs averaged $110, but the later maturing lambs that were sold in March and April av $146, which was good money at the time … the job did improve after that.
"You have to take what you can get."
The later maturing lambs are finished on a turnip crop after Christmas, before being sold at Hamilton too.
Those paddocks are then sown to Extreme and Avalon ryegrasses and clover for the next drop of lambs.
And with the market currently sitting at $4.60 dressed weight, the brothers are hopeful prices will hold.
"There's going to be a flush of lambs coming through shortly … we've heard that Hamilton will start their split sales a couple of weeks early this year because of the dry season," Greg said.
The top and second drafts of the Holcombe lambs generally go to export processors, with the thirds secured by trade buyers.
Greg added that selecting the right BLM ewe was crucial to producing a good lamb, but the cross produced an excellent prime lamb.
Although running a self-replacing flock was another option, he said this way they didn't have to waste time before joining - or deal with the wethers.
And after 30 years in the game, the brothers are keen to continue.
"You have your highs and lows, but any industry has that," he said.
"There are more good times, than bad."
