Success Stories - How Merinos Can Improve Your Bottom Line
Merinos … the most versatile breed for all environments
Many Merino producers are achieving outstanding financial returns through best practice flock management and business planning.
Read the Case studies at the end of this page from a variety of producers from across the country.
MERINO VERSATILITY
In an evolving agricultural environment that often demands multiple income streams, research and field trials show the modern Merino is the leading breed when it comes to producing a variety of options across a range of markets and production systems.
In all states of Australia and in all environments, Merinos are proving more profitable results compared to other sheep breeds.
Through genetic advancement within the industry, Merinos are now strong competitors against terminal breeds, continually producing better lambing percentages and an improved ability to raise lambs with accelerated growth rates.
Because of the dramatic genetic improvement, the Merino wether has also become the ‘unlikely hero’ in sheep enterprises, now receiving some of the hottest competition at saleyards across the country.
With a lot more emphasis on body structure, size and quicker growth rates, wethers are now turned off at a much younger age than traditionally seen, being sold at six-months
By having this option to turn Merinos off at a much earlier age, they create the opportunity of a steadier income stream.
The ‘Breed More Merino Ewes’ campaign successfully highlights what Merinos are achieving not only as a sheep that produces the world’s most natural, sustainable fibre and great tasting protein, but a breed that can produce outstanding financial returns.
The word most used in the most recent case studies when producers are asked ‘“why Merino?” is versatility.
Read more below about what Merinos are doing for enterprises across Australia…….
MERINOS OUTPERFORM OTHER BREEDS
A recent overhaul of their Merino flock to produce an article with the right balance of fat, muscle and carcase Merino producer Ricky Luhrs believes protein is where the consistent money is made, while wool is viewed as an opportunity cost.
“They outperform Dohnes that we have run in the past, we can run more of them and get more kilograms of lambs per hectare,” he said.
He describes the Merino wether lamb as his “flexibility in the system”. In a good season he holds them to get a fleece prior to selling and in a tough season, they are sold as lambs.
Read the full case study in the Merino Sucess Stories below.
MOST PROFITABLE BREED ALONGSIDE CROPPING ENTERPRISE
Unlike many of his neighbours who have opted for full cropping programs over the years, South Australian farmer Greg Hayes has never wavered from Merinos which fit perfectly into his production system.
He knows Merios will produce a premium wool clip as well as presenting a truly ‘dual-purpose’ animal.
Read the full case study in the Merino Sucess Stories below.
WAGIN (WA) farmer Andrew Scanlon doesn’t mince his words, farming is his business and he runs Merinos because they are the most profitable breed.
“I’m not here for lifestyle reasons, I’m here to earn a quid so it comes down to functionality and what earns the most money,” Andrew said.
“I’ve not seen any WA benchmarking information that says anything beats a Merino.
Read the full case study in the Merino Sucess Stories below.
FUNDAMENTALS CRITICAL TO PRODUCTIVITY
Livestock consultant, Andrew Calvert, Tasmania, strongly believes the Merino breed provides more options compared to a straight composite-types operation.
He wants to inspire the next generation to become involved in such a promising industry.
“I have some clients that are focused on benchmarking their various operations and the advice they are getting is to reduce breeding cow numbers, increase breeding ewes and where the country allows, run a wether flock,” Mr Clavert said.
Read the full case study in the Merino Sucess Stories below.
THE HARDINESS OF A MERINO
For David and Debbie Mullins in Manildra, New South Wales, the hardiness and the versatility of the Merino has got them through the tough seasons.
“Merinos will always play a major part in our farm business; I don’t believe any other breed could do as well as they do out here.”
Read the full case study in the Merino Sucess Stories below.
Merino Success Stories
Many Merino producers are achieving outstanding financial returns through best practice flock management and business planning.
Here’s a snapshot of what producers from across Australia are saying about Merinos …
A TWEAK in flock joining strategy is expected to have a two-fold effect of bumping up pressure at the classing race as well as opening new marketing opportunities for Tatyoon, Victoria, woolgrower Tom Bibby.
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James Hume, together with his wife Helen and three children Freddy (5), Annabelle (2 and Stella (5 months) run 5500 Merino ewes on just over 5000 acres at ‘Allanvale’ in Tasmania’s Dewent Valley.
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RUNNING a sheep operation in an area with an average rainfall of 220 millimetres is a challenge but one that the Warwick family, Holowiliena South Station, SA, is keen to take on.
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Around Muckadilla, in the Maranoa region, Queensland, the Hacker name is synonymous with breeding Merinos, as Jon’s father Tom and brother Peter Hacker run a family Merino stud.
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The West Australian Wheatbelt sheep producer has spent nearly six decades gathering an enviable depth and breadth of knowledge of the Merino sheep, seeing it evolve into the highly productive sheep it is today.
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THE Merino is the most versatile breed in the world, according to Victorian farmer Kieran Flood, and it’s never been more prominent than the past 18 months.
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Charles Downie, with his wife Sally and three children Ollie (10), Joe (7), and Amy (5) of Glenelg in southern Tasmania run a 15,000 head superfine self-replacing Merino operation over 5,500 hectares.
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AN Australian Merino Lamb Trial has successfully proven extensive profits can be made while lowering production risks just by introducing the Australian Merino to a cropping enterprise.
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THE year 2020 has thrown up many challenges for farmers – fire, drought, floods, a pandemic, but with adversity comes opportunity and this year there have been plenty of the latter for Merino producers. The challenging year has highlighted the resilience of the breed with meat markets solid throughout and the wool market now rebounding well.
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IT is a fine balance trying to increase wool cut and maintain a superfine fleece, but Tasmanian producers Josie and Henry Dunbabin believe it is a worthwhile pursuit to maximise profit.
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