Hardefeldt system optmises stocking rate and genetic potential

Dr Hardefeldt operates a 303 hectare property joining 920 to 950 ewes annually.

After selling his veterinary practice and retiring as a veterinarian in 2014, Dr Hardefeldt has been able to focus full-time on his prime lamb operation.

Until 15 years ago the property ran 1800 to 2000 Merino sheep.

That changed when the area went into 15 years of drought or 'semi-drought' conditions from 1996.

During that time the sustainability of a high input, high stocking rate Merino enterprise became "clearly, not sustainable in this environment", he said.

"You could see the paddocks blowing away too often and too much of the year dust was blowing, there was no cover and too much hand feeding.

"It became very obvious to me that it wasn't sustainable. Clearly climate change was upon us and these dry years would occur more and more."

He switched to a crossbred operation.

He said the change to cross-breeds reduced the stocking rate on the farm by half in the period from when all the lambs were gone in October until May when the ewes lambed again. So was hand feeding.

The change was made with the purchase of Border Leicester rams from the Mallee to put over his Merino ewes and retaining replacement ewes.

The basis of today's operations is two flocks - one maternal and one terminal.

For the first two generations, the Border Leicester/Merino-cross ewes were joined to Booloola White Suffolk rams, producing a White Suffolk/first-cross ewe for female replacements.

Poll Dorset rams from Glenore were used as terminal sires.

The third stage of the maternal breeding program was the introduction of Cashmore Park composite rams to join to the predominantly White Suffolk ewes.

The resultant Suffolk progeny were then joined to composite rams and the half-composites to White Suffolks.

Dr Hardefeldt said he kept careful note of the breeding of the ewes to ensure there was no in breeding.

He uses ear tags and ear marks to identify the sire of each ewe as well as whether they produce singles or multiples.

"I only keep replacement ewes that are out of ewes that were scanned as twins. My aim is more grass and more lambs. I don't want to run more adult sheep," he said.

The pasture side involves improving 10 to 15 percent of the pastures each year. Pastures include phalaris, cocksfoot and sub clovers.

He said he was looking at Tall Fescue as an option to phalaris in some paddocks.

"My winter crunch with my lambs is July. I don't carry store lambs through, everything goes - apart from replacements," he said.

"My stocking rate doubles and sometimes triples from the first of May to the middle of July. Every paddock has got to be producing as much as it can from autumn break to feed ewes and lambs through winter."

The flock comprises about 750 mature aged ewes that were joined to start lambing on May 8 and 170-180 ewe lambs.

The ewe lambs were joined in February or March to lamb in either July or August depending on other when he is taking a break.

The ewe lambs were joined at 50 to 55 kilograms liveweight and given extra care and didn't have to experience the winter crunch in their first year as mothers. The progeny were run until mid November and sold - mostly as stores. The ewes were then joined with the adult flock in December to lamb the next May.

All autumn-drop lambs, bar replacements, were sold through the Ballarat saleyards.

Dr Hardefeldt said in the autumn any adult ewes not in lamb were sold, apart from the maiden (hogget) ewes that had only just had their lamb weaned off them.

"I think they deserve a second chance," he said.

He said the current marking percentage was 125 per cent overall, with the aim of increasing that to an optimal 135pc.

"I don't want a marking rate of 160, 170 or 180pc. We are north of the divide and I think that's a bit over the top," he said.

"Every ram I buy is born as a twin. Combined with selecting ewes born as twins should increase fertility."

Rams were purchased using all available information - Lambplan, $MAT and MCP+ indices - as well as analysis of spreadsheets of individual ram data.

The physical attributes of the ram always played a large part in the selection process, he said.

Dr Hardefeldt doesn't allow ewes to get below condition score 3.

"I feed them to make sure they are CS3," he said.

Dr Hardefeldt said another reason to infuse the composites was to reduce the mature ewe average weight by about 10kg - to 70-75kg instead of 80-85kg.

He produces hay on the property and buys in barley at sufficient rate to keep the ewes at CS3.

Each year, in February or March, the ewes were moved to sacrifice paddocks until two to three weeks from the start of lambing. The sacrifice paddocks were those due for pasture improvement or cropping in that year.

All ewes were scanned and divided into twinning and single mobs before lambing, and lambed in mobs of 50-100 ewes.

He said twin bearing ewes were given self feeders. All sheep were fed until there was sufficient paddock feed.

"I normally stop feeding by the middle of June," he said.

"My stocking rate is worked out on what I can get through winter - mid June to the first week of August. In August to October as the grass moves that's what fattens your lambs."

Of the normal lamb drop of 1000 to 1100, about 800 to 850 were sold and 225 retained.

Dr Hardefeldt said for his size of operation selling the complete drop at the saleyards through Landmark at Ballarat was the best method for marketing.

"The springs here are often short and I try to get them off as quickly as possible - late September-early October," he said.

This year the single lambs averaged $205 and the twins averaged $175.

Ewes producing twins were generating $350 in lamb and $20 for wool, or $370 per ewe.

"That's a pretty fair return. But this year is a bubble, I understand that," he said.

Dr Hardefeldt said the the red meat industry needed to promote the natural aspect of lamb to defend the industry against the so called 'synthetic' meat products.

"Synthetic products should not be allowed to be marketed as meat," he said.

"The industry has to meet it head on, on the basis of it (lamb) being a natural product, rather than an artificial product.

Dr Hardefeldt said that despite being a climate change believer, the impact of ruminants was grossly overstated.

"The industry shouldn't allow itself to be taken hostage by the climate change claims. It's being used by small interest groups to push their own agendas," he said.

He said predation by foxes was a major challenge. He baits regularly.

He said another major issue was the ballooning number of kangaroos in the area with mobs of 70 to 80 not uncommon.