Generational commitment to superfine wool

With a change in the fortunes of the superfine end of the wool market, many have changed their directions and embraced Merinos with a slightly bolder micron, but with more fleece weight, or joining their Merino ewes to terminal sires for a quick return of the cross-bred store lamb.

But Alan Ticehurst, Rockleigh, Bookham, has stuck with the family tradition of raising the specialist superfine Merino show growing wool destined for the Italian spinner's market.

"I've been at it all my life and I enjoy the challenge of growing and preparing this superfine elite wool," Mr Ticehurst said.

"On our property, which is not very heavy carrying country, the superfine Merino sheep are best suited and it all goes back to my father who bought this place in 1941.

"It can be pretty cold here and we don't always get an autumn break, so I have stayed with these sheep which have been bred here for generations.

"They have been very good for my family."

Mr Ticehurst runs 2400 Merino sheep, including 1250 ewes joined for a six-week lambing in July on the 460 hectare property while he has leased a further 357ha to a neighbour.

The current flock is based on the Merryville-blood rams his father and later he purchased either from the parent stud, or from the leading daughter studs in the Yass district.

Mr Ticehurst breeds his own rams, joining a specially selected ram to an elite mob of ewes with his latest stud sire bought at last season's spring sale when Pete and Jayne Lette, Conryan, Berridale, offered their annual draft.

"I like to breed a few rams because I think I can get a better, and more even, selection of rams which are more true to type for what I want and which suit my country," he said.

"It is also a bit of extra work, but I do get a kick out of seeing some good rams coming through from my own breeding, it's very satisfying.

"If I went to a stud, I would be competing with other buyers who want the same rams as I do and they would cost more.

"This way I can afford to pay a good price occasionally and buy a good stud ram that I want."

When selecting his replacement stud sire, Mr Ticehurst only considers the micron measurement, and doesn't take any notice of the estimated breeding values posted for the ram.

"I know I'm a traditionalist, but I go with what I see before me in the pen," he said.

"I also place a lot of trust in my fingers, feeling the wool for softness and nourishment.

"Those traits are very important when breeding the superfine wool, and especially in our light country which can be dusty during a dry summer or autumn.

"And the type of sheep must suit breeding aims, being plain bodied, with a soft skin and especially very good feet."

Mr Ticehurst has his annual shearing at the end of April, where his grown sheep average 4.5 kilograms per head measuring between 16 and 17 microns.

"I like a nice, white and fine crimped wool and even through the whole fleece. Soft and with the length of staple that the Italians prefer," he said when explaining his aims while classing his maiden ewes.

"They don't want an overlong staple and that is why our country is ideally suited to growing this type of wool."

Mr Ticehurst prefers to class his own sheep rather than engage an independent classer because he feels he will get to know his sheep better.

"I have done it all my life, but I don't get too close to the sheep, prepared to to be very strict with my type," he said.

And that even type of sound feet and shoulders, good barrel and neck extension, on a sturdy framed ewe was evident when viewing his sheep off-shears.

He sells his wether weaners in two lots in January each year, and arranges for his agent to sell them privately in the paddock.

After classing his maidens, the seconds are sold to a neighbour, who also buys the cast-for-age ewes each year, after they have been crutched in January.

Mr Ticehurst is also adamant he will continue to mules his lambs.

He uses pain relief and pointed out the lambs mother up very quickly after they have been released from the cradle.

"I think it is the best way. I have of looking after my sheep and keeping breech flystrike away," he said.

"It is a lot easier to manage the sheep when they have been mulesed, and is less cruel than seeing a struck ewe.

"With a basic mules, we can also get a good clean crutching."

The property is covered in natural pasture and is occasionally spread with superphosphate.

The sheep are set stocked in paddocks and are rarely moved from one shearing to another.

Allowing for seasonal problems, the set stocking allows for the even growth of the staple and with few breaks in the staple.

"It's important for the Italian market that the wool has a high tensile strength and on our country we can help that by set stocking with a low number of sheep in each paddock," Mr Ticehurst said.

"Allowing for dry autumns, set stocking also reduces the amount of dust in the wool, which is kept to a minimum by the good nourishment and lock of the fleeces."