After 23 years of breeding White Suffolk sheep, Graeme and Rosemary Small will be dispersing their Abrona White Suffolks on June 30.
The stud began in 1994 with six Allendale White Suffolk ewes.
The Smalls were able to buy a share in the PLG stud and AI’ed their flock for many years using the best PLG genetics.
The Smalls used LambPlan as an objective measurement tool to pursue genetic gain from the very beginning of the stud.
In 2000 an Illoura ram was purchased that made a huge impact on both genetic gain and placid nature of the flock.
Since then the Smalls have continued to purchase high performance, structurally sound rams from other elite studs as well as using the best of the rams from within the Abrona stud.
For the past 12 years the Abrona White Suffolk stud has utilised synchronised joining to lamb the ewes over a short period to improve both ewe and lamb management and the accuracy of birthweight breeding values.