Wether trial shearing reveals $24 net profit difference for fleece value

The 2023 to 2025 Australian Merino Production Trial has 50 teams comprising of 730 wethers from across Australia.

Shearing was carried out last week at 10 months wool growth by Hueys Run Shearing and Crutching at a mobile shearing stand at FarmLink Research's Temora Agricultural Innovation Centre.

Hazeldean Merinos, trading as Myalla Station, Cooma, came out on top with an average fleece value of $87.63.

Their flock's fibre diameter averaged 16.3 micron with a greasy wool weight (GWW) of 5.9 kilograms, clean wool weight (CWW) of 4.2kg, and shorn bodyweight was 51kg.

KS Farming, The Rock, was second with its Pastora-blood flock, with an average fleece value of $86.41, 16.9 micron, with GWW averaging 6kg, CWW averaging 4.2kg, and shorn bodyweight at 52.7kg.

Pastora bloodlines were also behind the team in third place, Bronzewing Pastoral Company, Yerong Creek, with an average fleece value of $83.34 at 16.7 micron, GWW of 5.8kg, CWW of 4.2kg, and shorn bodyweight of 53.9kg.

In fourth was Woodstock Partnership, Cooma, with its Greendale and Hazeldean-blood flock. It averaged 16.6 micron with a GWW of 5.5kg, CWW of 3.8, and shorn bodyweight of 47kg.

Fifth was Tallawong Pastoral Company, Cowra, with Tallawong bloodlines. It averaged 16.4 micron with 5.4kg GWW, 3.8 CWW, and 49.6kg shorn bodyweight.

W and C Von Bibra, Ross, Tas, were sixth on $80.64 for their Beaufort-blood flock, while Jimenbuen Pastoral Company, Dalgety, were seventh at $79.74 for their Jimenbuen-blood wethers.

Condobolin's Mark and Carol Jones were eighth on $78.52 for their Lachlan-blood wethers.

Pastora bloodlines again featured with C and M Morton, Stockinbingal, in ninth on $78.04, while RT and MJ Waters, Wantabadgery, were tenth on $77.91 for their Borambil-blood wethers.

The trial averaged 17.2 micron, GWW of 5.2kg, CWW of 3.6kg, and 51.3kg shorn bodyweight for an average fleece value of $69.97.

The trial evaluates performance in both wool and carcase traits.

Each team is required to randomly select 30 wethers which are then split and run in either pasture/grazing crops at Temora or at a Fletcher International Export feedlot at Condobolin.

Trial manager Craig Wilson, Redgum River Pastoral Company, Wagga Wagga, said some of the largest woolgrowers in the country participated with 32 bloodlines represented.

"I think the key thing that has come out is there is $24 per head in net profit between the top 10 and bottom 10 teams for fleece value," he said.

"This has occurred with the exact same bodyweight, meaning that there is no penalty in terms of stocking rate or fertility by running high value wool sheep."

Mr Wilson said the results could be an eye-opener for some entrants but also gave them an opportunity to improve.

"It doesn't cost you any more to run good-quality sheep compared to ordinary-quality sheep," he said.

"Some of these people who have participated in these trials for the first time have performed poorly.

"That turns out to be the best thing that could happen for them, because while a lot of them are already making money at home, we've just shown them how they can make 40, 50 or 100 per cent more money."

FarmLink operations manager James Holding said the trial focused on benchmarking Merino genetics.

"There are 50 teams from across the country that are run together in the one flock," he said.

"It removes all the management variabilities, so any differences you see are purely related to genetics."

The carcase component was processed by Fletchers International Exports in Dubbo after the wethers were run at Kiargathur Station feedlot at Condobolin from June 15 to August 7.

The criteria for the trial was wethers born after April 1, 2022, meaning there were mixed ages across the teams although the wethers were run together at the feedlot.

Overall, the biggest carcase yield of 35.6kg was Mark and Carol Jones, Condobolin, with their 496-day-old Lachlan-blood flock.

Next at 33.3kg was Sunbury Park Pty Ltd, Lockhart, with their the 479-day-old wethers of Triggervale blood.

Dryburgh and Co, Boorowa, had 357-day-old, Grassy Creek-blood wethers at 29.2kg.

The youngest wethers to be processed at 299 days were a Yalgoo-blood team by Ashby Holdings Pty Ltd, Ross, Tas. They had a carcase yield of 21.7kg, representing a lifetime gain of 143 grams a head per day.

Another Tasmanian team, Elsdon Estate, Perth, with Glenlea Park and Boorana blood had the second-youngest team at 305 days, which produced a 25.1kg carcase and lifetime gains at 161g/head/day.

At 314 days was a mixed-blood team from Paling Yards Trading Co, Taralga. The team had an average carcase yield of 23.3kg and lifetime gain of 152g/head/day.

Mr Wilson said the trial also proved the dual-purpose aspects of the breed.

"Last year, some of the wethers dressed at 30kg, while their brothers in the wool trial are in the 16-micron range," he said.

"Traditionally, people would think that it was impossible to have high-value wool sheep and have high-value meat sheep at the same time."