Management tactics to maximise the quality and quantity of wool produced per hectare are paying dividends for Somerton woolgrowers John and Laurie Chaffey and their son and daughter-in-law Will and Lil.
A big change on the family's 2100-hectare, medium rainfall property in recent years has been to switch from annual to six-month shearing for their wethers.
They are also following the principles of the Lifetime Ewe Management (LTEM) program, which has quantified the benefits of ensuring there is enough feed to maintain ewes above a body condition score of 2.7 year-round - and especially during the reproductive cycle.
This has been shown to optimise ewe and progeny performance over their lifetime.
Coupled with a breeding emphasis on production of medium and fine wool from heavy cutting sheep, the sheep enterprise is kicking goals for the fifth generation mixed family farmers.
On undulating and variable soil types, the Chaffeys run a 1000-head self-replacing Merino ewe flock and a 500-head wether enterprise to add to wool production.
About 75 per cent of ewes are mated to rams from Hamish and Jock McLaren's Nerstane Merino stud and the remainder are joined to Poll Dorset rams for prime lamb production.
For income diversification and to reduce business risks, the Chaffeys also have a Poll Hereford cattle breeding herd and carry out winter and summer cropping.
Production of top quality wool has been part of the family's philosophy since Mr Chaffey's grandfather started his own Merino stud breeding operation.
"Our modern day target is a 17-18-micron, soft, bright and fine woolclip that has plenty of nourishment, while maintaining staple strength, length and cut," Mr Chaffey said.
"We run our sheep on cropping fallow areas in summer and have to be mindful of keeping dust and vegetable matter low to maintain a good style of wool.
"This has contributed to our decision to shear the wether wool flock every six months, as it better suits our environment and management - especially in reducing flystrike risks."
Mr Chaffey said their wether flock's aggregate wool staple length and strength had improved with a six-month shearing, and clean wool cuts were now higher per year.
He said shearing twice each year produced an average nine kilograms of wool per head, compared to the previous 12-month shearing average of 7kg/head for their wethers - and 6.5kg/head for ewes that were still shorn annually.
"This basically means we get 30 per cent more production and returns from the same stocking rates, and our sheep are in a better body condition score," he said.
Mr Chaffey said the family would like to shift to six-month shearing for ewes as well, eventually.
But he said, with a mixed enterprise business, trying to fit in an extra shearing with a sowing and harvest period was proving difficult to achieve.
"Ensuring ewes are in body condition score 2.7 or greater year-round means we get higher weaning rates and wool staple length and strength are not compromised," he said.
Mr Chaffey said future breeding directions for the Merino flock were to focus on maintaining wool fibre diameter at about 17-18-micron, wool yields of 70 per cent and wool cut per hectare - all while gradually improving yearling growth and fertility
He said, as per the LTEM program, the family also had a big emphasis on feed and stock management.
"In a twist of fate, really, the drought from 2017-19 has helped us by honing-in on what energy and protein levels we actually have in the paddock - or from any supplementary feed," he said.
"We have learned the importance of matching that more exactly and efficiently to sheep life stages (for example pregnancy, lactation or joining) and body condition score.
"It has given us a more precise picture of what our sheep require every month of the year to ensure optimum lifetime performance and best returns.
"Our best results haven't come from maxing-out stocking rates, but just by objectively measuring nutrition and output and managing the flock accordingly."