2014 SA Merino Directory Expo

2014 Day One – On-propertyGREENFIELDSGreenfields Merino stud, founded in 1949 on Ashrosebloodlines, had regular purchases of Ashrose stud rams andewes as well as stud rams and semen from Collinsville. Collinsville bloodformed the basis of the Greenfields Poll Merino Stud, founded in 1957. Thestud sells rams to all parts of SA and interstate and they are keenly soughtfor their well-nourished, bright, stylish wool and large, plain bodies. Emphasisis on breeding early-maturing sheep with strong constitutions. Greenfieldsclients regularly achieve high returns for their quality wool clip and top pricesfor livestock sold at saleyards. In 2013, the stud offered and sold sevenstud Merino and Poll Merino rams at the Royal Adelaide Show ram saleto a top price of $15,000, averaging $9214. Its annual on-property sale inSeptember was another highlight, where 98 rams sold to a top of $5200,averaging $1900. In the mini-auction, 35 rams averaged $668. Greenfieldshas two lambings a year, enabling quality rams to be available for selectionthroughout. Studmasters Jim, Robert and James Sullivan are committed tobreeding top-quality Merinos and Poll Merinos, constantly striving to producerams with superior genetics. They are available to assist clients with classingand provide general advice with ram selection and flock management. Ahighlight of this year’s field day display will be some outstanding progenyof East Mundalla Jonty, Collinsville Olympic 111121, Greenfields XP87 (soldfor $29000 to Collandra North Stud) and Bruno (sold for $10000 to KylieStud, Western Australia). The stud’s annual on-property production sale is onMonday, September 15, where 150 rams and 300 stud ewes will be offered.GUM HILLEstablished in 1885, Gum Hill Merino Stud has experienced and survivedmany economic and seasonal changes. The challenges that havecome from these experiences have directed the type of Merino that thestudmasters, over many years, have chosen to pursue. As one of only twosurviving studs which originally began practising extensive measurementfor economic factors from the mid 1950s onwards, the need for a profitableand productive animal has resulted in the stud producing plain-bodied,strong-constitution, fertile, easycare animals that are performing for clientsunder a range of commercial environments. It believes that the individualanimal’s all-round performance for fleece weight, body weight, micron,comfort factor, and fleece rot or flystrike is as important as pedigrees. GumHill is a family-owned and run business, having been in the Lines family since1885, and covers properties at Mount Bryan in the Mid North and Keith inthe South East, allowing for an increase and diversity in client requirements.Rams are bred at both properties, and the top 60 per cent of the drop areoffered for private selection in July and October. Gum Hill does not auction itsrams because it believes that clients need individual time to make the correctbreeding selection for their flocks. With clients spread across Australia, thestud’s breeding flock can meet most commercial sheep breeders’ objectivesrequired from the modern Merino.Details: www.linesgumhill.com.auHAMILTON RUNThe Hamilton Run Poll Merino stud is a continuation of stud Merino sheepbreeding which began in the 1950s by the Andrews family. Thirdgenerationstud Merino breeder Greg Andrews has established and basedthe stud in the undulating country at Jamestown. Sheep are run betweenthe home property and pastoral country of the Southern Flinders ranges.Hamilton Run produces sheep with outstanding constitution and structure,growing stylish medium wool of high follicle density. Its genetics influenceflocks over a wide range of environs including south east Qld, central andnorthern NSW, the southern and Wimmera areas in Vic, plus all regions ofSA. Client successes support the versatility and adaptability of HamiltonRun sheep. Wool type selection that is so important in the range of testingclimatic conditions in this country and Hamilton Run’s highly waxed andlow suint wools, enhanced with the Well Gully infusions have excelled in allareas. At Hamilton Run an electronic tagging system is used for collection ofdata. Rams are selected visually and backed by the use of ASBVs, providingadditional selection pressure at classing. A Pedigree Matchmaker systemprovides accuracy of mothering over its large ewe base, saving a lot of labourand time. In line with demand and to keep prices affordable for regularclients, the Hamilton Run Poll Merino ewe base has grown, with a largernumber of rams being offered this year, giving a wider selection range.Together with a flock of an additional 1000 meat-predominant stud ewes,more than 600 rams are sold annually by auction and private selection. At its2013 annual on-property ram sale at Jamestown, 100 Poll Merino rams soldto $3200 and averaged $1478. To assist repeat clients, Hamilton Run offersfree ram delivery and complimentary ewe classing services. The HamiltonRun ram sale at Jamestown is held annually in September and this year, ison Thursday, September 4. A ram selection day at Mundulla is staged in lateSeptember for southern and Victorian producers who are unable to make theJamestown sale. The stud welcomes enquiries for private selection rams thatare available anytime.MOORUNDIE PARKMoorundie Park Poll Merino Stud was founded by Eric Davidson in1955. His grandson Tom now operates the stud at Gulnare in thestate’s Mid North. Moorundie Park sheep are noted for their large framesand free-growing white wool. The stud continues to maintain a focus onprofit-driving attributes such as fertility, early maturity and robustness. Ameasure of its success has been the excellent results achieved by its clientswho consistently feature in all regional livestock markets. Moorundie Park willhost an on-property field day as part of the Mid North Field Days in March,where a large number of sheep will be on display. Rams will be offeredat The Adelaide Ram Sale in September and there will be an on-propertyram sale of 180 rams on Friday, September 19. The stud held a successfulon-property sale in 2013, selling all 180 rams on offer with an average of$1428. Moorundie Park endeavours to breed profitable Merinos and build anhonest and friendly relationship with its clients.NORTH ASHROSENorth Ashrose’s breeding program and continuous improvement promiseanother exceptional year in 2014. The ewe flock is ever evolving withcontinual assessment and evaluation of market trends and technology.Created from a Collinsville-blood base, North Ashrose has a solid backgroundof structural soundness and constitution within the ewe flock whose five-yearmicron average is 20.4. The flock is moving forward, ensuring clients aresecuring and selecting from good sheep for the future. These sheep havesound conformation and improving carcase and meat traits along withquality, well-nourished fibre while maintaining fleece weight on a plainbodiedMerino. This consistent breeding has been evident throughout 2013,where North Ashrose Metric was awarded the supreme champion Merinoexhibit at the Royal Adelaide Show. North Ashrose Cubic was awardedthe reserve grand champion Poll Merino ram while the stud also won thesupreme champion fleece at the show. At the 2013 Adelaide Ram Sale, thestud recorded a solid average for 10 rams which sold to a top of $12,500,and averaged $8800 with strong competition from all states and internationalclients. Its on-property sale held annually in September is always a highlightin the ram selling calendar for the stud. In 2013, North Ashrose recorded atop price of $7000 and $1845 average for the 160 rams offered and sold.Clients report consistently high returns for their quality wool clip and havereputable livestock sales at sheep markets. North Ashrose is always strivingfor excellence and firmly building on solid foundations, integrity, service andreputation with clients. It is anticipated that the progeny of North AshroseImperial family and Lustre family will be a focal point of the 2014 field days.These are exciting young sires that show outstanding wool qualities withimpressive frames and deep bodies. North Ashrose’s annual on-property ramsale is on Wednesday, September 17.Details: www.northashrose.com.auNYOWEEThe Nyowee Poll Merino Stud, operating as BA Michael & Co,Balaklava,was founded in 1955. In recent years, it has concentrated onusing Nyowee sires, with some semen from leading eastern state studs, inartificial insemination matings. The stud aims to produce sheep with largeframes and a high percentage of top-quality, nourished, long-staple wool. Itplaces more emphasis on using rams with good dual-purpose traits. Nyoweewill once again display on-property, enabling visitors to inspect a goodcross-section of sheep bred in the stud. It will feature rams reserved for theAdelaide and on-property sales and pens of graded hogget rams rising oneyear-olds.Ewes and ewe hoggets will be penned for inspection and youngewes rising 1.5 years will be shorn, fleece-weighed and valued during theday. The stud will participate and display at the 2014 Broken Hill Ag Fair, theBendigo Sheep Show in Vic and offer and show rams and ewes at the RoyalAdelaide Show and Ram Sale. It has had a successful 2013 Adelaide ramsale, selling 8 rams to an average of $5250 and a top price of $12,500. Thistop-selling ram was sold to the Hilton Heath Stud. Nyowee had a successfulon-property ram sale in September last year, selling 130 rams for an average18 Merino Annual 2014www.elders.com.au