WINTER NEWSLETTER

Many of you reading this will be well aware, or potentially living through the tough autumn and winter we are currently experiencing in the eastern Riverina area. Whilst hand feeding will continue into the foreseeable future, hopefully we can all benefit from this investment with the projected positive outlook for lamb.  

Times like this can be tough on a business and personal level, so it is important to look out for each other.

More often than not, verbalising an issue, concern, or challenge, can ultimately improve the way you feel about a situation. It allows you the opportunity to address the topic on a more positive aspect, resulting in a more calculated solution or outcome. I can honestly say, this works for me.

Where to with the Merino for us?

Muscle, fat, breech wrinkle, eating quality and worm resistance are all traits that we value and exhibit within our stud and endeavour to refine and improve with future breeding. The above traits are best divided into three different categories: reduced input costs, increased profitability and improved welfare outcomes.

Whist these fundamentals are very important to us, we also value the consideration and contribution of traits such as fleece weight, micron and colour and conformation. We achieve a fine balance of traits through the placement of selection pressure on the ewes within the stud and scrutiny of semen sires we select. This in turn, allows for a structured and deliberate mating to achieve optimum results, along with an ability to join our ewe lambs to speed up the rate of genetic gain.

The benefits of using breeding values when assessing such traits, supports a more objective approach and further aids in the selection process. It provides vital data that can be used to manage and improve traits that have an antagonistic relationship.

Our second on-property ram sale to be held at ‘Mullameah’ on Monday 2nd September is fast approaching. Sale rams will be catalogued and will be supported with videos and current ‘Breeding Values’ that will be found on AuctionsPlus. We will notify you via email when this can be accessed. Catalogues will be emailed out or can be downloaded via our website soon.

We are very excited and proud of this year’s sale team as they are exhibiting the important production traits we have been focusing on and continue to select for within our ewes and rams.

Of greatest gain in this year’s sale rams would be their capacity of muscle and fat improvement. Within this sale team you’ll find a large number that are trait leaders for IMF (Intramuscular Fat). This genetic gain not only provides an opportunity for our clients to increase energy reserves in a self-replacing merino system, but also improves feed efficiency, carcass weight and value. All of which are extremely valuable during tougher seasons, providing a more resilient ewe flock.

A continued focus on breech wrinkle reduction aligns strongly with our non-mulesing status, and the 2024 sale rams exhibit this both phenotypically and through breeding values.  

Their wool is looking superbly white and showing huge potential in crimp definition and extra staple length.

If anyone would like further information or clarification on these genetic gains and traits, in particular, how this has positively influenced out commercial lamb-finishing program, please make contact via the button below and I will be more than happy to discuss these with you. 

IMF and the Merino

The Merino has long been thought to have only ever been productive in its wool-growing attributes. When selecting a modern-day merino that is positive in fat, muscle and IMF, it gives sheep produces more options in marketing and an opportunity in the lamb finishing and slaughtering sector.

As visible in the graph above from Sheep Genetics Australia, Old Cobran’s stud flock are true leaders in the area of IMF and the ability to benchmark these results, further backs this up. Old Cobran’s merino lamb finishing program has received great ‘bonuses’ from consignments to Gundagai Lamb. Nothing makes us prouder than gaining feedback from our clients who are also receiving brilliant results tapping into this new market.  

Utilising the science and technology advancements in genomics has enabled us to select sires that are trait leaders for IMF with greater accuracy. Ram buyers will have access to rams that contain these traits, which enables buyers to be rewarded through the potential to receive financial bonuses on lean meat yield and intramuscular fat.

Interesting fact: there is strong research and science stating the benefits of selecting animals with higher IMF in a maternal system as it can greatly reduce ewe mortality in late gestation. The IMF is one of the first energy sources drawn upon when needed in late pregnancy for ewe and lamb survival.

Below: Gundagai Lamb Grid Price. Please note this price is non breed discriminatory.

Client Story

Dave Cooper

Dave Cooper has a rich farming background, growing up on the family farm at St James, Victoria. He runs a very successful sheep and cropping enterprise at St James and Thoona and has been buying rams from Old Cobran since 2020.

Dave’s feedback indicates how happy he is with the direction of our stud and the progeny from the rams he has purchased with the assistance of Rex Bennett, Elders - Albury. He states that the progeny from the Old Cobran rams are proving to be consistent and align to a modern merino that exhibits well-balanced carcass and wool production traits. This balance allows Dave to produce a saleable wether lamb that can be sold direct to slaughter, while reaping the financial reward of a skin value at slaughter and a long stapled/non-mulesed fleece of bright, white wool.

Dave noted, “The 2022 drop ewes have significantly improved in wool quality and are a lot whiter since purchasing rams from Old Cobran”. He also passed on this year’s lamb marking figures of 131% to ewes mated. This is a testament to his meticulous flock management in a very tough Autumn/Winter.

WEDNESDAY 7 - FRIDAY 9 AUGUST - LAMBEX, ADELAIDE

I am looking forward to heading to Adelaide for what is guaranteed to be a great event.

MONDAY 2 SEPTEMBER - ON-PROPERTY SALE, ‘MULLAMEAH’

Our second on-property ram sale. Sale commencing at 1pm.

TUESDAY 17 SEPTEMBER - THURSDAY 19 SEPTEMBER - HENTY MACHINERY FIELD DAY

I will once again be at the Henty Machinery Field Day. If you are attending be sure to call in and say hi. We will be at site 1045 in Block V.

I hope everyone is travelling well and if anyone would like to discuss anything further, please, feel free to get in contact.

Matthew Martin – Stud and Property Manager

Phone: 0427 345 227

Email: matthew@oldcobran.com