A central Victorian Merino stud is finding success across the Bass Strait, as Tasmanian woolgrowers find the rams' breeding mirrors the conditions they face.
Beverley Merino stud, Redesdale, is one of several superfine producers in the region who run sheep on the granite, sedimentary ironstone and basalt country.
It's an area where stud principal John Barty says the Saxon-blood sheep thrive.
"The sheep do very well, the climate is pretty good, but it can be a bit testing," Mr Barty said.
"They do thrive in it, you need good-doing sheep, and Saxon sheep are good doing sheep."
He said the stud started in 1956, but the family had been in the area since about 1919.
"The plan now is you grow as much good superfine wool as you can because if you get the microns right, you have got the price," he said.
"If you go too fine, you are probably not getting enough cut - because the prices aren't always high - and if you go too strong you miss out on the price.
"So there is a bit of a Goldilocks area in there hopefully."
He said it was originally set up on Saxon bloodlines, from Sierra Park, Victoria Valley, and Winton, Campbell Town, Tas.
"We have been on Merryville, Yass, NSW, since about 1982 - they give a bit more size and wool cut, while maintaining the same microns," he said.
The property last shore 19,000 adult sheep, running on 3200 hectares, and Mr Barty said Beverley also bred about 2000 first-cross lambs, which went to the Bendigo special sale.
"You use good Border Leicester rams - our ewes are never going to breed as big a first-cross lamb as the blokes north of Bendigo but they are still very profitable," he said.
"They are another string to our bow.
"That's why we want the little bit bigger-framed ewes, so you can breed a bigger first-cross ram."
Mr Barty said the stud had a diverse spread of clients.
"We have clients in Tasmania and they like the rams with quite fine wool, so we cater for that," he said.
"We went to Tasmania last year and went around all our clients and the rams are doing really well down there, we are selling quite a lot."
Beverley was aiming for an under 17-micron fleece but had one which came in even finer.
"We had one bale which came off sheep on a bush block which went 13.8 micron," he said.
"It made 4300 cents a kilogram, which is the best we have had for a while."
Beverley was lambing now, after joining in November and December.
"By the time we finish shearing it's getting close to the end of November, we join some while we are shearing, so it's dictated a bit by that," he said.
He said the property was sown down to phalaris and coxfoot, with a mix of native pastures.
"The granite is really productive, it comes away quickly when it rains and the native country is great for growing good wool," he said.
He said he was thinking of taking eight or 10 rams to the Australian Sheep & Wool Show but didn't know how he would go.
"They are all champions at home," he said.
"When you get to the show your spirits drop a bit when you see what everyone else has got but they are usually competitive."
They are all champions at home.
- John Barty, Beverley Merinos stud principal
He said it would be good to reacquaint himself with what other studs were doing.
"It is a great hobby - as a stud you are always looking around for rams and we haven't seen much in the last year or two," he said.
Andrew Miller
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
