With the dry conditions continuing across the Riverina, Bert and Liz Matthews, “Bedarbidgal”, Hay have reluctantly decided to disperse the Merino flock which has been bred since 1983, and based upon the former Matthews Brothers flock bred at “Eurolie”.
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The entire flock numbering 3,140 ewes will be offered for sale.
Mr Matthews said the decision to destock their property has come from his life experience and the need to care for the land.
“I have previously seen our property devoid of vegetation twice in my lifetime, the first time was as a result of a bushfire on November 21st 1990 turning a run of above average seasons into an instant drought,” he said.
“The second was in 2007 – 2008 when dust storms ripped the topsoil from the sandy ridges and cut the vegetation off and blew away.”
Mr Matthews walked his remaining flock to the TSR and spent from May to September 2009, droving them from Hay to Narrandera RLPB district and back.
“The time spent droving was a very special time, it gave me time to reflect on the previous 18 years,” he said.
“I gained a thirst for knowledge on sustainability and regeneration of land under management.”
Concern for his country and stock and aware the season might not turn for some time, Mr Matthews acknowledged it was a difficult decision to make.
“With the current season well short of our median rainfall and spring looming with the prospect of no grasses setting a seed it became a question of source feed grain and hay and hope for thunderstorm or retain the cover on our country and remove the livestock’” he said.
“I vowed during my droving days, a time of reflection, almost 10 years earlier that the property would never be devoid of vegetation on my watch and so the decision to disperse our Merino flock was quite a simple one.”
The breeding and management of the Merino flock has been a life long passion for Mr Matthews, so it will be a difficult day when they are loaded onto the trucks, but he is aware the land will be ready to respond when the rains do return.
The Merino flock, classed by Rob Russell, Sheepscope for the past 26 years, is a very productive medium wool type, with ewes averaging 65kg body weight and producing up to 4.9kg stylish 20micron fleece in 2017.
It has been bench-marked with Holmes and Sackett Benchmarking with production figures showing income per DSE in excess of $80 and a gross margin of over $63/DSE.
Weaning rates of 110 percent (2016), 103 percent (2017) and 94 percent (2018) have been achived during the past three seasons.
The flock through the AuctionsPlus platform to allow the sheep to avoid the rigors of travelling to the saleyards.
The auction will be on Tuesday August 28th 2018, at 12.30 pm.
Further details from Bert Matthews 0428932118 or selling agent Landmark Hay Geoff McDougall 0428105533
