JONATHON Duff's main focus is wool production, but Border Leicester genetics fit perfectly into his mixed farming operation at Yackerboon, between Cudal and Manildra.
The 2500-hectare property runs up to 3000 Merino ewes, with an increasing number being joined to Border Leicester sires, as well as 300 cows and about 700ha of cropping, growing dual-purpose canola, wheat and barley crops.
"We'll join about 900 ewes to Border Leicester rams this year," Mr Duff said.
"They fit in well. We can concentrate on the wool game, and they give us a lot of flexibility with markets, as first-cross fat lambs or breeders."
The Merino flock averages 19-micron and any ewe that isn't producing Mr Duff's ideal wool is classed out of the pure flock and joined to a Border Leicester.
"We started side sampling all our maiden ewes a few years ago and using electronic tags to record their micron, body weight and fleece weight," he said.
"We then use an algorithm, based on that information, plus physical inspection of the sheep, to give us a guide as to which sheep we should be keeping."
The focus is on the wool but all enterprises have to pay the bills.
- Jonathon Duff, Yackerboon
Mr Duff has been using North South genetics from the Makeham family for the past four years.
"We're looking for something that's robust, athletic, and will do well. They've got a good topline and they're good looking, long sheep which produce long, athletic progeny.
"This gives us flexibility to sell them as fat lambs, or the ewes as breeders.
"The rams have done a great job this year, with the ewes joined to borders scanning 164 per cent across all ages."
The majority of first-cross wether lambs are sold through Forbes saleyards, and the ewes go to the same market, unless it's worth selling them as breeders.
"They're August/September-drop and we're aiming to see them out the gate through the yards by the end of May which works well, and we'll hang on to the ewes a bit longer, to sell them in July and August.
"We grow Wedgetail wheat, Urambie barley and we've got 970 canola which has been very good for lambs over the past few years, and we grow barley and brassica along the Mandagery Creek.
"The Border-cross lambs do very well here. The focus is on the wool but all enterprises have to pay the bills."
Ruth Schwager
Ruth Schwager is a journalist with the national agricultural features team.
Ruth Schwager is a journalist with the national agricultural features team.
