WHITE Suffolk sires are boosting profitability for Will Lee at Claremont, Larras Lee, where they're joined to older Merino ewes.
Mr Lee and his wife Netta Holmes Lee run the first-cross lamb operation alongside a Merino flock, commercial Shorthorns and the Noonee Angus stud.
About 1000 ewes are joined to White Suffolk rams, which have been used for the past 15 years. Mr Lee purchases rams from Coronga stud, Orange.
"I was a traditional Merino breeder focusing on wool but when wool returns weren't so great we wanted to diversify a bit, so we joined some older ewes to White Suffolks and found they were very good," Mr Lee said.
"Previously, the only crossbreeding I'd done was with a Border Leicester for first-cross ewes to sell.
"When we went to the White Suffolk as a terminal sire they put a lot of muscle in the sheep and the ewes lambed very well."
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At the start the biggest issue was finding the right ram.
"It took me a few years to find the right type of White Suffolk ram, because at first we were buying a Ferrari type ram to join to a Merino ewe which is like a Ford T Model," Mr Lee said.
"I thought any White Suffolk would do, and Peter (Jackson, stud principal of Coronga) had high performing ones which were fine for high performing meat sheep, but not right for Merinos.
"They were big lambs, but the Merino couldn't do the job on them to finish them, so we needed something to help the lambs put down more fat.
"Ferrari types were very lean, but we needed something that could put down more fat, with a lower birthweight and high post weaning weight."
Lambs are usually sold to Thomas Foods International at Tamworth, with heavier lambs going south to Goulburn.
"Last year they were sold as suckers off mum because the season was tough, but in normal years I'd put them on lucerne and pasture to grow them out,' Mr Lee said.
"I try to get them to 56 kilograms liveweight, working on a dressing percentage of 46 per cent.
"If it's a cracker season they're on pasture, but in tough season I've been feeding them barley in self feeders, with whatever dry matter is in the paddock and that's worked well.
"As long as I can feed them well, they put on weight - that's the benefit of a good meat sheep."
Mr Lee has also seen an improvement in lambing percentages, with about 50 to 60 per cent twinners for an overall lambing percentage of about 130pc.
"I could push it further by lambing in smaller mobs, but we don't have small enough paddocks to do it in.
"The twinners could be managed better if we had a more intensive program, but it's really a secondary operation to the Merinos and the Angus stud.
"It's been a very good addition to have, particularly when wool prices were so ordinary."
"I could push it further by lambing in smaller mobs, but we don't have small enough paddocks to do it in.
"The twinners could be managed better if we had a more intensive program, but it's really a secondary operation to the Merinos and the Angus stud.
"It's been a very good addition to have, particularly when wool prices were so ordinary."