- RELATED: Feeding basis for Merino results
Running a diverse operation, involving Merino ewes, winter cropping, irrigated lucerne under centre pivots for seed, hay production, lamb finishing and Langley Lodge accommodation complex, Ron Hawkins compares his choice of enterprises to the hare and tortoise.
“With such a broad-based operation we need to have a high degree of stability that Merinos provide to mitigate risk,” he said.
“Cropping is a bit like the hare … it can sometimes give us a good return, but like the tortoise, our sheep just soldier on and keep performing. With seasonal and market variations, potential income swings occur and we need the stability sheep provide for our enterprise.”
Mr Hawkins, in partnership with his wife Pauline is the fourth generation of his family farming in the Minimay district in western Victoria, and work with their sons, Andrew, Nick and Tim in the family business, “Hawkins Booroopki Farms”, Minimay.
On their aggregation, 17,000 Merino ewes are joined in December and balance the winter crops and irrigated lucerne for hay and seed enterprises. “The irrigated lucerne allows us to lamb onto green pasture after the lucerne is harvested for seed,” he said.
The Merino flock was founded on Riverina bloodlines, and an elite flock is kept from which replacement rams are bred. “The flock is self-replacing but we have had a couple of introductions of Glendonald-blood, which we consider some of the best wool cutters in Australia,” Mr Hawkins said. “We also purchase lambs from the Riverina in spring for finishing”.
“We are evolving a sheep with long staple length, and a good body with a ‘bit of stretch’, and a good wool cut. And because wool is a large part of our income, we also like it to be well nourished to keep the dust out during our dry summers.”
The wether portion are shorn during January and are taken onto dressed weights of 22-25kg by April/May. The old ewes and seconds after the annual classing by Michael Elmes, Narrandera are joined to Poll Dorsets and White Suffolks, for an autumn lambing. “We can normally sell these crossbred lambs by Christmas at dressed weights of 25-26kgs,” Mr Hawkins said.
“We are breeding a ‘utility’ sheep and maintaining our wool cut at 5.5 to 6kg, with 72-3 percent yield measuring 20 microns, but the reality is, meat is important and we are getting good money for our sale sheep when sold.”
Ewes are kept until they are six to seven years, and last year, were sold ‘over-the-hooks’ for $3.40kg. “We also averaged $130 net for all of our lambs,” Mr Hawkins said. “With our wool cuts and good returns from lambs it is an exciting time for sheep.”
