Celebrating 50 yrs of Dohnes
THE LAND Thursday January 21, 2016, BY KATE PEARCE
THE Inaugural Global Dohne Conference and tour will be held on Aussie soil from July 15 to 23, 2016.
Conducted by the Australian Dohne Breeders Association (ADBA), the conference will start in Melbourne and finish in Dubbo.
It celebrates 50 years since the formation of the Dohne Breeders Association in South Africa. The breed began in 1939 by crossing the Australian Peppin Merino and the German Mutton Merino.
ADBA vice president John Nadin, Macquarie Dohne stud, Warren, said the aim was to increase productivity in the form of growth rates and reproduction.
“International expressions of interests have been overwhelming – we’ve had them from Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, Peru, Falkland Islands, New Zealand, China, Russia and South Africa,” he said.
The conference will focus on commercial producers. Pre-conference tours will incorporate the Australian Sheep and Wool Show, Bendigo, Victoria, and on farm visits fromCorowa to Dubbo.
Post conference tours will be conducted in South Australia and Western Australia.
The program will offer professional Dohne producers an exciting opportunity to view quality animals, visit associated industry businesses, network with other sheep breeders/industry personnel, participate in the National Dohne Sale and have an opportunity to visit various parts of Australia.
The global conference will be stationed in Dubbo on July 21 and 22. It will start at 12pm at the showgrounds.
Wool displays, shearing displays, national ram sale animals and a large number of stud and commercial breeders displays from throughout Australia will be on show.
A wide range of speakers include are scheduled including Meat and Livestock Australia, Australian Wool Innovation (AWI).
Speakers from South Africa and South America will also take the stage.
A cocktail party and fashion parade will be hosted by AWI at the Expo Centre on the 21st followed by a formal dinner and National Ram Sale on the 22nd.
Mr Nadin said Dohnes are continuing to play a significant roll in the Australian sheep flock.
“The number of registered stud animals animals has been increasing,” he said.
“The dual purpose and maternal traits of Dohnes set them apart, and this was evident in the 2015 JBS Swift lamb supplier of the year where Dohnes cross-lambs came first and fourth.
“Dohnes are playing a major roll in composite flocks, reducing micron, while maintaining growth rates, carcass attributes and lambing percentages.”
ADBA MEMBERS: Rhys Parsons, Daryl Schaefer, John Nadin, Richard Beggs, Bruce Barnes-Webb, Rachel Browne, Graham Coddington, Allen Kelly.