2015 December

Volume 18

The Year in Review

Our large scale AI program in April yielded pleasing results both in conception rate and quality. Elite sire Empire 13-7021 ‘Tom’ produced 330 lambs. On an average daily growth rate these lambs are equal to the highest ever at Macquarie. The nourishment and elite wools along with exceptional length of body are exciting.
I believe that this sire will have a major impact on the dohne breed. Semen has been sold to leading studs including Mt Alma in South Australia.
During 2016 Macquarie sold genetics to all sheep producing states in Australia.

7021 with 6 months wool growth.

 

Ram Sales

Sheepvention, Hamilton VIC

Ace 13-7141 sold to Midgery and Kardinia Studs for $10,000, pictured below with co-purchaser Don Mills Kardinia Dohne Stud, Corowa NSW

7141 with 8 months wool growth.

Empire 13-7176 sold to Alex Leach, Glenlea Stud WA.

Macquarie’s Sheepvention team averaged $7250

12 Annual On Property Sale

138 rams sold from 139 offered and averaged $1701
The top price of $2800 was reached five times; David Cruickshank, “Glenelg”, Gilgandra; James Best, “Baroone”, Gulargambone; Brad Kerin, “Springlands”, Yeoval; Chris Carrigan, “Welbon”, Garah; and Dennis O’Brien “Cryon Station”, Walgett.
Six new clients purchased at this sale.
Due to the extremely dry conditions throughout QLD many of our clients from this area were inactive.

Five buyers paid $2800 six times at the 12th annual Macquarie Dohne ram sale, Warren, on September 23. Pictured are four of the buyers David Cruickshank, “Glenelg”, Gilgandra; James Best, “Baroone”, Gulargambone; Brad Kerin, “Springlands”, Yeoval; and Chris Carrigan, “Welbon”, Garah; with Macquarie stud co-principal, John Nadin.

 

East Gippsland ram selection day, Bairnsdale VIC

Macquarie now has a Victoria ram depot at long time clients David & Glenda Mitchell, Bairnsdale. David has a lifetime of stud sheep experience and will be an asset to the Macquarie team.
A private ram selection day was held at David & Glenda’s on the 24th October. The day was conducted by Don Rash, Landmark.
5 rams sold to $3000 and averaged $1400

Quality flock rams are available for immediate delivery.
Contact myself, David Mitchell on 0427 035 775 or Don Rash 0418 900 693

Tim and John Buxton, Buxton Ag, Stratford, with the two Dohne rams they purchased at Macquarie’s ram selection day at Bairnsdale.

Victorian multi vendor sale, Ballarat VIC

Macquarie offered and sold 8 rams and averaged $2275.
Macquarie achieved the both the highest price and highest average along with three new clients.
Top price of $3300 was paid by Wayne & Lyn Culverson ‘Heatherdale’ Orange.

Tasmania multi vendor sale, Campbell Town TAS

The extremely dry conditions didn’t help in what turned out to be a gruelling sale.
Macquarie sold 5 rams from 7 offered, topping the sale at $1500 achieved the highest averaged of $1140.
Top price was purchased by long time loyal supporters Richard & Sarah Johnston, “Esk Farm” Longford, TAS.
Unfortunately this will probably be the last multi vendor sale in Tasmania. This is disappointing after ten years of promotion and seven ram sales.
Our attitude at Macquarie is to take the top of a drop rams and encourage clients to support this sale.
It’s a service that comes at a cost to the us.
The rams that went to the sale this year were the tops of our autumn drop. Their siblings of equal quality were sold at Ballarat three days earlier and topped at $3300 and averaged $2275.

Private sale highlights

Peter & Chris Meaney Narloo Dohne Stud, Port Lincoln South Australia
Empire 13-7187 – $4000

Stephen & Di Perry, ‘Wyndabyne’ Warren
Ace 13-8067 – $4000

Argentina
Ace 14-090 $5000
Wardry 14-417 $5000
12 2014 drop stud ewes $18000

L to R Argentinia’s Joaquin Alonso, Mauricio Zampedri, Guido Filippa and Emiliano Lopez. Emiliano’s family purchased the two rams and eighteen ewes.

 

Chilean visitors

Daniel Groves and business partner Karina Tapia of Agropampa Services Ganaderos, Chile. Daniel and Karina visited dohne studs in WA, SA, Vic and NSW.
Daniel was impressed by the balance of Macquarie Dohnes……wool and carcass.

L to R Daniel Groves, Greg McCann and Karina Tapia.

 

Ram Select workshops

Macquarie hosted a ram select workshop in September conducted by Geoff Duddy and Murray Long of sheep solutions. Twenty people attended.
The southern dohne breeders group also had Geoff and Murray run a course at Campbell Town prior to the ram sale.
We are planning on running more courses during April 2016 throughout Victoria and Northern and Southern NSW.
I highly recommend attending these courses.

Client Results

Once again Macquarie clients have excelled in the market place. Good genetics and good management go along way to securing top prices.

Michael, Annie & Tom O’Brien, ‘Kincora’ Come By Chance.
The Dohnes superior maternal traits were expressed this year at ‘Kincora’ during the worst drought the area has experienced.
F3 cfa dohne ewes along with cfa merino were joined to Border Leicester rams in November 2014.
The ewes lambed down separately in April/May.
The wether portion were sold over the hook in September at 5 months of age.
The wethers out of the dohne ewes averaged 27.1 Kg dressed & returned $162.26.
The wethers out of the merino ewes averaged 23.4 Kg & returned $141.32.
Interestingly the dohne cross lambs received an $8 skin value compared to $7 for the merino cross lambs

Stephen & Di Perry, ‘Wyndabyne’ Warren
Aug/Sept 14 drop classed out ewes. Auctions Plus in Sept 15, May shorn, average body weight of 58kg – $154

Carinya Pastoral, Ballimore
14 week mixed sex lambs out of F3 dohne ewes by Poll Dorset rams. Average body weight of 30.9kg sold for $96 or $3.10 per kg live.

Around the traps

Classing at Chris and Lochie McLellan’s ‘Truro’ Clunes Victoria. A most satisfying classing job. A high rainfall area supposedly too wet for a dohne. These sheep are testament to top management and careful ram selection.

Classed young ewes at Chris and Lochie McLellans.

Chris & Helen Carrigan ‘Welbon’ Garah NSW Classer James Kosters comment……’outstanding’.

Welbon Ewes.

For sheep that had an incredibly tough start to life these sheep presented well….growthy, structurally correct with quality wool. A credit to Dave & Julie.

David & Julie Hawker ‘Westlea’ Cunnamulla. Nov 15.Classing hogget ewes at Dave & Julie Hawker “Westlea” Cunnamulla Qld.
L – R Dave Hawker & Rob Barden, Bardo’s Dohnes “Valetta’ Cunnamulla.

 

Dohne Expo, Punta Arenas, Chile

Greg gave a presentation on the Australian Dohne.

On 17th November, a seminar, organised by Agropampa Chile, was held in Punta Arenas, Chile, on the economic benefits of introducing Dohne genetics into the South American Sheep Industries.
Presentations were made by speakers representing the collaborative government/industry research centres from a number of South American countries, including Chile, Argentina Uruguay and Peru.
The speakers included Dr William Vivanco – Peru, Alejandro Vozzi – INTA Argentina, Hernan Elizalde – INIA Chile, Ignacio de Barbieri – INIA Uruguay, Emilio Rivera – INTA Argentina, Hugo Vera – Chilean Dohne breeder and myself.
The speakers reported on the research projects they had been conducting on the performance of the Dohne in their respective projects.
The reported benefits of the Dohne in reducing micron and increasing growth rates and reproduction rates in all projects was impressively significant, and to have this information presented by independent research workers was compelling.
My presentation reported on the positioning of the Dohne in the Australian Sheep Industry, where according to MLA survey data, the Dohne breed is involved in the genetic makeup of up to 21% of the current Australian National Ewe Flock.
The seminar was held as a result of the rapidly growing interest in the Dohne breed in South America due to its performance both in research facilities and on commercial sheep farms.
As you would expect, the performance of the Dohne in the South American environment mirrors its performance in Australia.

L to R Greg McCann, co-principal of Macquarie Dohne Stud, Diego Bernard – Rincon de los Morros Argentina, Gregory Aldridge – INTA Argentina, Emilio Rivera – INTA Argentina, Alejandro Vozzi – INTA Argentina. Meeting after the Dohne seminar in Chile Nov 2015.

Upcoming AI

We have decided to increase our autumn lambing in line with the majority of our clients.
In December we will AI 800 special stud ewes to our leading sires; 13-7021 (retained), 13-7141 (sold to Kardinia and Midgery Studs), 11-4838 (sold to Bruce Barnes-Webb DD Stud, Moama).
Our maiden ewes will be AI’d to two outside dohne sires; TR14-7388 from Chirnimup Dohne Stud WA and ST14-0101 from Stirling Dohne Stud Glenthompson, Vic.

482 Maiden ewes penned up for AI programming.

 

Global Dohne Conference July 2016.

Plans are well underway for this major event.
Expressions of interest have been received from South Africa, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Peru, Russia, China and New Zealand.
The tour begins at the Australian Sheep and Wool Show, Bendigo on Saturday 16th July with the conference commencing in Dubbo on Thursday 21st. Friday will see a formal dinner and stud ram sale in the evening.
A commercial F3 and greater fleece competition will be conducted at Bendigo and Dubbo. We are aiming for 70 fleeces and I encourage all clients to keep a couple of fleeces for this event. Fleeces can be returned to the breeder or donated to charity. Fleeces can be dropped at any Landmark branch or with me.
We are also having commercial sheep displays at both Dubbo and Bendigo. If your interested in displaying some ewes or wether lambs please let me know.
Intricate details regarding the Global Conference can be found on the Macquarie website, www.dohnes.com.au

The Australian Dohne Breeders Association secretary Rob Martin retires after 12 years in the position. Rob has been an invaluable member of the association.
Rob received a well-deserved honorary life membership at the ADBA AGM in October.
Rob’s work ethic, personality and demeanour will be missed.
We wish Rob all the best in his retirement.

Macquarie’s Aims and Objectives

I was asked recently by a new client what our aims and objectives are. I have stated this both in print and verbally in the past and it hasn’t wavered…..to produce a fast growth rate, early maturing prime lamb sheep that is highly fertile carrying a quality well nourished apparel fleece that can handle all environments……… A 60kg ewe that cuts 6kgs of wool and rears a 60kg lamb at 6 months.
Whilst we have always concentrated on wool quality, we haven’t detracted from the growth rates and carcass.

We thank you for your continued support and wish you and your families a Merry Christmas and a prosperous new year.

Macquarie Dohne Stud

John, Greg & Tanya