Tim and Rachel Westblade decided to participate in this year’s Sheep Week to promote the family’s Pastora stud Poll Merinos to potential Victorian clients.
“We don’t sell many sheep into Victoria, we would like to become better known down there,” Mr Westblade said.
The Westblades run about 10,000 Merinos including around 3600 to 3700 stud ewes.
They breed about 1800 ram lambs each year which gives them the scope to cull hard.
He said they took a “no bull” approach to breeding Merino sheep. Stud ewes are run under commercial conditions.
Mr Westblade said he was happy with the flock’s micron (around 17 micron for older ewes).
“We are in a pretty good micron category,” he said.
The focus now was on further improving fleece weight and the do-ability of the easy-care Pastora flock.
Mr Westblade is hoping to be shearing weaners when Pastora opens its doors to the public on day two of Sheep Week, June 19.
The Pastora Poll Merino stud is located at Lockhart in southern NSW.
Pastora was founded in 1986 by renowned sheep breeder and respected industry figure, Peter Westblade.
When he sadly passed away in 2008 his son, Tim, kept his father’s legacy powering ahead.
Fittingly, Pastora-blood flocks filled four of the top 10 placings in the 2016-18 Peter Westblade Memorial Merino Challenge at Wagga Wagga.