North East Victorian prime lamb producer Geoff Davies has been fine tuning his operation through feed changes and electronic scanning equipment.
Noticing the autumn break was becoming unreliable, Mr Davies switched to growing multi-purpose celeriac and brassicas, to bring his stock through. Mr Davies runs 900 Merino-Border Leicester cross ewes on his 365hectare property, Ratharney, at Gooroombat, just north of Benalla. White Suffolk and Poll Dorset rams were used over the ewes, at a rate of around three per cent.
“I’ve heard recommendations as low as one per cent, plus one, for the flock, but that turns out not to be a reality,” he said. There were two joinings on Ratharney, in April-May and again in July-August, over six weeks. Mr Davies said the lambs were then put out into the brassicas, supplemented by high protein feed, and roughage, such as straw.
“The last spring lambs are cleared before the end of March, to avoid two tooth issues – lambs are weaned when the youngest reaches 12 weeks, to save on feed, and the ewes are put onto lower quality pasture.”
Mr Davies said paddocks on Ratharney were also sown to clover and rye, with an area of lucerne “to capture the summer rain,” and a separate area under brassicas.” Pastures were top dressed with 100kg, single super, each year, while feed wheat and oats were produced on farm, to supplement the diet of both ewes and lambs. “Oats are used in feeders, with lamb finishing, to balance energy and protein and provide roughage,” he said. Lambs were generally turned off directly to JBS at Brooklyn, dressing out to 24-25 kilograms.
He said he preferred White Suffolk rams, which he had been using for 15 years. “I was told by an old farmer, the White Suffolks were easier on the ewe, at lambing, particularly over maiden ewes. As far as the abbatoirs and exporters are concerned, they have their favorites. White Suffolks or the Dorsets, over a first cross, are a good combination.”
Recently, Mr Davies said he installed scales and scanning equipment to read electronic identification tags.
“I just felt I might be able to follow my stock a bit better, by having another recording system,” Mr Davies said.
“The automation has sped it up so much, it’s made it so much easier. You can also track your animals better, because of the tags. With some of the programs you can get the daily weight gain straight away.”
