DEDICATING eight per cent of their land area to conservation, managing rangeland goats and shifting focus from Merinos to hardy meat sheep breeds and cattle has proved a winning mix for New South Wales Western Division pastoralists Garry and Tracy Hannigan.
The Hannigans own 50,000-hectare Churinga Station, via Broken Hill, and 4000 hectares recently purchased at 'Narringa', Nyngan, New South Wales.
Low commodity prices and poor seasonal conditions in the late 1990s spurred the switch from Merinos to Damaras, Dorpers and Wiltshire sheep and Garry was one of the first in the area to diversify into the African meat sheep.
"Now about 50 per cent of landholders in the Western Division run some variety of meat sheep," he said. "We first went with the African breeds for ease of management and the fact they were better suited to our conditions. This change of enterprise returned the business to being profitable."
Damara-Dorper crosses are now run for their hardiness and "extreme fertility".
"Across the whole herd we get about a 150 per cent lambing," he said.
The Hannigans run 4000 breeding ewes at Churinga and 1500 at Nyngan. This year Charollias sheep -a breed incorporating British and French genetics- have been introduced to Churinga and crossed with Dorper ewes. The first lambs are due this month.
"Charollias contain a double muscling gene and are renowned for their high fertility and good growth rates, all traits suited to crossing with Dorpers," he said.
The property was certified organic about 10 years ago which opened up more market opportunities. All lambs go to the domestic organic market, often at a premium price.
Rangeland goats had previously been opportunistically wild harvested to provide an alternate income source. But in 2005, the Hannigans started managing a herd of goats with Boer sires.
They run about 500 goats. The Boer infusion in the bush nannies helps boost meat values.
"The Boer goat quality fits the developing domestic market," he said. "We are aiming toward the organic goat meat market when it gets established. The goat market looks pretty sound, as does all red meat markets.
"The meat sheep are the most profitable part of the business mix, but goats complement this very well, especially in the scrubbier paddocks."
About 50 Brahman cattle are run at Churinga and 150 Murray Grey at Nyngan and are mainly sold at Dubbo markets.
"Management of all stock - regardless if it is goats, Merinos, or meat sheep - it is about balancing stocking rate to carrying capacity.
"The animal is not the issue. It is the management. That goes for all stock, breed doesn't matter."
In 2003, they set aside 4000ha - 8pc of the total property area - for conservation as part of an Enterprise Based Conservation agreement under a NSW Government pilot scheme trialling pastoralist stewardship of land. Under the agreement - for which they submitted a tender and is administered through the Western Catchment Management Authority - the area will be managed for conservation purposes until next year with a review and the opportunity for extension.
Garry says they wanted to be part of the scheme to receive some return for conserving the natural landscape - which they were already doing.
"The paid scheme offered an alternate income and fit with the requirements of organic certification," he said. "It is a concept we believe in and it protects the country."
*Full report in Stock Journal, September 8 issue, 2011.
