Representing South Australia in the National Merino Pairs judging at the Australian Sheep & Wool Show has been on John Dalla’s bucket list since he returned home five years ago.
So the third generation Yorke Peninsula stud breeder was thrilled to see this come true in March in Burra.
The win came 23 years after Orrie Cowie – one of the state’s oldest Poll Merino studs - first achieved it.
John – along with parents Dennis and Heather – runs 800 stud and 400 commercial ewes at Warooka.
Orrie Cowie’s elite medium wool pair were an AI bred ram, OC 150016 (known as Casper) and ET bred ewe OC 150082
The June 2015 drops received high praise by judge Kevin Crook, Tamaleuca stud, Ouyen, Vic, for having heavy cutting, bright, white, waxy, well nourished wool.
Casper – a 19.5 micron – was bred in the purple being sired by West Plains Mercinary- the first polled ram to reign supreme at Sydney Royal Easter Show- and out of an Exceller family ewe.
The 19.2M ewe is also special to the Orrie Cowie stud being the only ewe lamb born in their 2015 ET program.
“We flushed nine ewes and got five lambs of which she was the only ewe lamb, but I’d happily pay the money for another disastrous program to get another one of her,” John said.
This daughter of Charinga Pearler has become one of the stud’s prized ET donors.
John says wool quality in their challenging southern Yorke Peninsula is key, to handle their wet winters and humid summers plus the limestone soils.
“Summer rains are just a fly trap if your wools aren’t right but on the flip side the alkaline soils dry the wool out incredibly so you have to have over nourished wools to handle the conditions,” he said.
“It takes a special type of wool to be nourished and handle the water.
“Casper and the ewe are spot on where we want to be.”
Orrie Cowie is also renowned for its productive heavy cutting sheep.
Another of John’s goals is to have their stud ewes cutting 10 kilograms of wool.
“A Merino is a dual purpose animal but wool is key- every kilogram is more money for us and our clients.
“It doesn’t cost you much more money to run a sheep with an extra kilogram of wool but on the national flock average you are increasing production by 20 per cent.”
In recent years Orrie Cowie has bought several high priced rams from the Bendigo sale, including $28,000 top priced ram in 2013.
But this year the Dallas will make their debut as a vendor, offering Casper.
“It will be a good finish for him and you don’t get any more exposure to the whole of Australia than Bendigo,” he said.
