Genetics equal productivity at Murnong

Running as a mixed farming operation, Murnong Farming requires each area of production to pull its weight.

For their prime lamb operation that meant an increase in kilograms of lamb turned off from each ewe kept on farm.

On-farm comparison trials with imported New Zealand Primera and Highlander rams achieved good results and has seen the operation enter into a partnership with genetics supplier Focus Genetics, NZ, and marketer Paringa Livestock, Yea.

Murnong Farming manager Josh Walter said the farm's piggery had taught them what could be achieved with the right balance of nutrition, genetics and management.

"How can we get sheep more like the pig operation - that's where we started the technical thinking," he said.

"We found as nutrition got better, production improved and having sheep in good condition all year made the flock easier to manage.

"So we had the nutrition and management down pat, but we needed the genetics.

"With Paringa Livestock and Peddie's of Penshurst we travelled to NZ to see for ourselves their genetics program and, as a result, we both imported Primera and Highlander rams in 2010 and carried out our own on-farm trials comparing them to what we could source within Australia."

Trialling imported Primera rams, Murnong found the property was getting greater numbers out the gate from their 1100 head first-cross and composite ewe flock, on 15 per cent less feed input.

Scanning percentages had also increased by 18pc, while lambing survival was up 10pc and lambing assistance down by 2pc.

Sourcing 1075 embryos from Focus Genetics through marketers Paringa Livestock for an extensive embryo transfer program last year, Murnong has now established a flock of the maternal Highlander sheep.

"When you take into account all the possible variables that affect lamb production, our own trials indicate we could likely achieve a further 25pc increase in kilos per hectare return over and above our existing prime lamb operation during the next three years or earlier as the genetics take influence," Mr Walter said.

With 75pc of implanted ewes scanning in-lamb, 90pc of those lambs survived to marking, with an average birth weight of 4.7 kilograms, marking weight of 12.5kg and an average growth rate of 325kg a day.

The August 2013-drop rams lambs will be sold as hoggets at the first offering of Australian-bred Highlanders in February next year, on-property at Murnong.

Currently averaging 36kg, the rams will be about 50kg by sale date.

The Highlander ewe lambs from the first ET program will be joined as hoggets in March, and will become the basis of the elite breeding flock.

The ideal 'efficient' prime lamb operation for Murnong will be a 19-23kg carcase in a self-replacing system, with targeted feed requirements.

"Our commercial flock will eventually be Highlander ewes with Primera rams breeding prime lambs," Mr Walter said.

"The elite flocks on both side is just an add-on to the sheep operation."

"The changed focus has us turning off lambs three weeks earlier, with 49pc yield - that is a big cost saver there - as well as getting more lambs on the ground."