The family-run cropping and sheep enterprise at Kikoira is benefitting from a transition to new Merino genetics and an overhaul of the shearing, breeding and grazing program.
Paul and Jen Northey, together with their daughters Nicola, Caitlyn and Emma operate the Central West NSW farming business across three properties, totaling just over 8100 hectares.
They are currently in a rebuilding phase and Mr Northey hopes to join about 6000 ewes next year.
It is run as a self-replacing Merino flock, based on Belswick bloodlines.
"We changed to Belswick about six years ago to increase the wool cut, get a better crimp and style, and put more guts in the wool," Mr Northey said.
"Based near Condobolin, the introduction of the L'Estrange family's stud Belswick has enabled us to increase the productivity of our ewes and their ability to grow a quality fleece.
"We introduced 25 per cent of Belswick blood each year for four years to see how it would go and the last two years it has been pure Belswick.
"About half of those ewes were joined to Merino rams.
"Ewes five years and older are put to a Suffolk or a Border Leicester ram, and we keep some of our old ewes until they are seven years old - that's where you get the most lambs on the ground."
Mr Northey believes Merino ewes offer producers the best of both worlds.
"A large-frame Merino ewe will give you the fleece and a lamb," he said.
"Our grown ewes cut 9 kilograms last year, so you can get $70 worth of wool off them.
"The ewes can go to the terminal sire in the Suffolk and still get a really good lamb or go back into the self-replacing flock."
The Northeys prefer to purchase horned rams, and after working for 12 months, they cut the horns to a length of 10 to 12 centimetres, making them easy to handle.
Good, even conformation in their rams and ewes is critical to their breeding program, Mr Northey said.
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It was recognised by judges in the 2021 West Wyalong Maiden Ewe Competition, which they won.
"We look for big, stretchy rams with good feet, hocks and bone structure," he said.
"Ewes must have good pasterns, hocks and bone structure to carry a large frame plus 10kg of wool."
Ewes are classed annually as weaners by Michael Elmes, with a focus on culling ewes with less desirable traits in order to maintain a uniform breeding flock.
"We try to grow a 20 to 21-micron, bright and soft wool. If you keep the wool bright it always combs and if it combs it yields."
The Northeys shear their young maiden ewes and lambs three times in the first two years, then annually thereafter.
They recently implemented changes to their sheep breeding and shearing program to focus on better lambing percentages.
"We used to shear in September and lambed in April/May, and we found that we were lambing with eight months wool on them and we were losing a few ewes," Mr Northey said.
"Our conception rate was always 145pc to 150pc, but only weaning 100pc to 108pc.
"Now for the two years since we have changed the shearing to April, and lambing in May and June without any wool on them - last year we weaned 126pc lambs, and this year the ewes lambed at 132pc."
Mr Northey has scanned since the technology became available, he describes it as "a magnificent tool".
"We always joined for a maximum of six weeks, and we used to wait until we finished scanning to rejoin the empties, which was six weeks after joining, however, now we leave those rams in for six weeks during the main joining then we take them out and a fortnight later we put a Suffolk back in with everything," he said.
"The scanner picks up the two-week gap in between lambing, and it gets the empty ewes in lamb a month earlier than what they normally would be.
"When we weaned the lambs off we were having trouble getting those ewes back in lamb, now we are a month closer to getting the lambs on the ground and those ewes back into the main joining cycle."
The three properties are predominantly lucerne and clover pasture base.
Wether lambs are finished on lucerne pastures with grain feeders.
"We send all our grown ewes away on agistment over the summer within a 100km radius to help maintain the ground cover at home. It costs a bit, but certainly pays off in the long term."
