Alan and Noeleen Smith, who farm on Innisfail, on the Cobungra River, are the third generation of his family to grow wool on the property above Omeo.
The fourth generation – their daughters Belinda and Jackie – are also heavily involved, working on the farm.
The business’ primary focus is about growing wool.
After two generations and 36 years using Hazeldean bloodlines, the decision was made to bring in new Merino genetics, first Bindawarra then a combination of Pendarra and Bindawarra.
Noeleen and Alan have been buying only Pendarra rams for 18 years now. At last year’s Gippsland Merino Stud Breeders’ ram sale, Alan and Noeleen bought the top-priced horned ram, along with a number of his flock-mates – they paid $4500 for lot 4, a big 15-month-old ram with 18.4 Micron fleece.
“We like Pendarra rams – they brought a more stylish wool, with more whiteness, into the fleece. Initially the micron lowered but now it’s back up to an average 18.4,” Noeleen said.
They turn off a clip of 130 bales annually.
The property, on 4000 acres (1619 hectares) of hills and river flats, runs a self-replacing flock of 5000 sheep – including lambs and 1100 breeding ewes – and 130 Hereford-Shorthorn cows.
Oat crops are grown on the river flat, for winter hay. An annual fertiliser program sees about 20 tonnes spread each year.
Livestock graze inside electric fences, to combat wild dog and fox predation.
New rams are bought every year; joining rate is 50:1. Shearing is in September and the rams are put with the ewes for six weeks from the end of November. Ewes are run in age, or sister, mobs of about 100 head; principally because ewes and lambs graze alongside cows and calves.
In a regular year, lambing occurs from about ANZAC day on. The lambs receive a 5-in-1 vaccination and B12 injection at their first muster, then a second 5-in-1 along with Ovine Johne’s Disease vaccination at marking.
“In the last four years we’ve marked over 900 to more than 1000 lambs each year,” Noeleen said.
Lambs are classed as 12mo weaners, for fleece and quality of the wool as well as size of the animal. Ewes and wethers are kept to seven to eight-years-old.
“They hold up well until that age. Occasionally we have to get rid of a younger wether whose fleece blows out. But overall, Merinos do well up here,” Noeleen said.
“The elements are against you sometimes, but you also need them to produce the wool.”
The elements include cold and wet winters, with snow regularly on the ground and an icy wind off Mt Hotham’s snowy slopes.
This winter was a very cold and wet one – a few lambs died after the river rose and they became isolated. Snow was on the ground of weeks, two inches deep in places.
“But the frost doesn’t seem to bother them – you get a frost on the snow and it freezes and the lambs just don’t seem to be bothered by it,” Noeleen said.
This was also a bad year for fox and wild dog attacks during lambing.
“One night the electric fence was out and the next day we found dead and injured lambs – a wild dog and foxes got in,” Noeleen said.
“Our neighbours fence was out too and he also saw signs of wild dogs.”
The oaten hay is fed to the sheep and cattle throughout winter. This year’s cold also necessitated supplementary feeding with maize – sourced from stockfeed grower, Murray Stewart, of Bairnsdale.
The flock is still growing – Noeleen said they would bring it up to 5000 adult sheep.
“We reckon that would be our optimum size,” she said.
Classy act in wool
As well as an integral part of the family farm, Belinda Smith has established herself as a highly sought wool classer in Gippsland. She classes the fleece on Innisfail and travels throughout the region, running the board in local sheds.
Ten years ago she began working for Bob Websdale while studying the woolclassing course through TAFE.
“I like the people in the industry and the wool, I like handling it,” Ms Smith said.
“I like putting together a line of wool or clip I can be proud of when the grower sells it.”
Flock of the Year 2015 winners, Walpa’s Garry and Kaye Davidson, have employed Ms Smith as their wool classer for the past six years.
“She has a good eye and handle for wool,” said Garry Davidson.
“She’s a very good classer and nearly every year we’ve sent wool down [to the Melbourne Wool Market] we’ve won clip of the month and that’s all to her expertise. She’s a good classer.
“We wouldn’t look for anyone else to do our clip. And she brings a good atmosphere to the shed.”