Stock & Land Sheep Week is a great opportunity to welcome people to a stud, without pressure for them to buy a ram.
That’s according to Malcolm Starritt, a partner with Womboota Pastoral, in Moama, NSW. The mixed farming operation includes Womboota Border Leicester Stud.
They are continuing the philosophy of renowned Kelso Park stud that Malcolm’s great grandfather George Starritt founded. “We’ve been strong on constitution and now we’re also measuring things that can’t be seen such as lower birth weights, earlier maturing and more production,” Mr Starritt said.
“This is so people can make bigger margins on first-cross operations with the same amount of work.”
He said participating in the inaugural Sheep Week was also a good chance to show the stud and commercial sides of the operation and to demonstrate to visitors the importance of good genetics and balanced sheep.
Mr Starritt wants to display first-cross ewes with lambs at-foot, first-cross ewe lambs, as well as Border Leicester rams and ewes.
“Hopefully in June people will have their crops in and can take a day to visit a lot of different sheep studs to find what suits their operations.”
As part of the Australian Sheep Breeders Association, which runs the Australian Sheep & Wool Show, Mr Starritt said Sheep Week complemented shows, as people could see a stud’s nucleus at existing events and then see from where these show teams came and the entire flock at an open day.
“There are many very good sheep producers and to have the privilege of supplying rams to them, we have to be on top of our game.”
