A CONSERVATIVE approach to breeding is paying dividends for the Salt Creek Merino flock at Woorndoo, as stud director Peter Coy said you need to stick to your knitting.
The aim of the Salt Creek operation at Woorndoo, in the State's west, is working as the productive 27,000 head Merino flock produces a bale and a half of wool, or about 300 kilograms, per day.
Successful breeders never take their eye off the sheep's elementary features and ensure their feet, hocks and structure are correct before chasing wool figures, according to Mr Coy, who said if you are tempted by market trends and take your eye off the fundamentals, you can make long-term mistakes.
"We try to do what best suits our country and do it to the best of our ability, rather than chase what is fashionable today and in the long-term we will be in front," Mr Coy said.
"The long-term aims have been generational with my father and grandfather both being passionate Merino sheep breeders."
The operation includes an 11,600 breeding flock of commercial and stud ewes with 90 per cent lambs on the ground, 3500 ewe weaners, 1000 wethers to be sold at the commercial sale next week with the balance sale rams, cast for age ewes and first-cross lambs.
The last 18 months has seen a succession of management with Mr Coy handing the reins to Tom Wilson who has a solid Merino background after managing a Merino flock in the district under similar climatic conditions.
Mr Coy will step back from Salt Creek to semi-retire at Barwon Heads in February, however said he "won't be able to just walk away" and has renovated a cottage at Salt Creek to where he can return to his passion for Merino sheep.
During the last 25 years Salt Creek has generally moved from purchasing stud rams to artificially inseminating the top 200 stud ewes annually with semen from performance-tested Merryville and Roseville Park rams. The move was under guidance of stud classer John Williams from Cooma, NSW, which has seen the wool cut steadily lift from an average 5kg to 7kg for grown sheep as well as dropping the micron to av 18.
"We breed easy care, large framed animals that have heavy, quality wool cuts and we focus on that."
"We're conservative with our breeding and anything that is trialled is done in a small way before doing a broad blanket rollout so we have a sample of lambs on the ground and see how they perform before introducing into the whole flock.
"We don't go in with a broad brush until everything is working well for us and we are now running a lot more sheep and it has all got to do with a combination of genetics, breeding, stock health and nutrition."
Management ease of the large property is attributed to good communication, manager Mr Wilson said, if you move a mob don't tell one person, tell three. A regular fencing program of five to 10 kilometres annually is undertaken across Salt Creek as well as 21km of strategic laneways and continuous upgrading of water reticulation from three drought proof bores also assist management success.
Salt Creek has a history of naming paddocks after long serving employees on their retirement. Current staff comprising stud manager Allen Wentworth, 42 years, Rick Keilor, 12 years and Bill Weston, 11 years, are in the running for future paddock subdivision.
Soil tests every three years highlight trace element deficiencies and have been credited in improving flock health and fertility.
This year Salt Creek cut 170ha of silage to produce 1600 wet tonnes which were pitted for reserves, along with 450 hectares of lucerne and pasture paddocks for hay. They aim to pasture renovate 100ha annually to revitalise paddocks. Lucerne, which comprises over 20pc of the property, is winter cleaned and top-dressed twice annually. Lime is also applied to this country every 3-4 years.
Good fertiliser regime of 150ha of super and potash over the balance of the country enables the property to enjoy a high stocking rate of 13 sheep/ha. This compares well with 2 sheep/ha cutting 4kg per when Mr Coy started work on Salt Creek before the introduction of superphosphate and improved pastures.
"Soil testing indicates if we need to add lime or fertilise some paddocks and the place has a long history of soil testing since we discovered soil pH was low some 25 years ago," Mr Coy said.
"We spend so much money on fertiliser that we think the small cost of regular soil testing is warranted."
Salt Creek is holding its 30th on-property annual sheep sale next week, Thursday, December 12, and will offer 4000 Merino ewes and 1000 wethers.
