The Ewe:
The ewe flock is the main pathway for challenge of the Stirling Dohne Merino. They are mostly rotationally grazed as one mob from last joining to pre joining with a 6 week interval for late pregnancy and lambing in small single sire mobs. Join periods 35 days. The customary whole stud grain ban applies as well as a ban on foot bathing and trimming, except for emergency situations which did occur on one occasion this year during late pregnancy. As with sale rams foot bathing of non-breeding ewes does occur regularly.
Remember the light stocking rate involved with the whole stud grain ban produces longer and damper grass for longer periods adding considerably to foot pressure.
Selection pressure in the ewe flock has also been enhanced considerably by artificially increasing ewe numbers beyond that which naturally occurs in joined ewe wean rate increases. Over a decade 853 ewes have been purchased from the ‘Uardry’ stud of which 43% were of flushing or dispersel quality and 820 embryo transfers have occurred, preferential to only 270 A.I.
The 2014 retention rate wass 344 from 768 stud ewes or 45%
The Wool:
In 2011 the 2 year old stud ewes at Stirling netted $53 of 19.6 micron wool to Fibre Direct and by December had a joined ewe wean rate of 1.28. The total stud and commercial wool cut for 2013 including lambs at 11 months average 4.1kg.
Leaving aside sire wool in 10 years of breeding no bale has tested over 20 micron and in fact no wool produced during 2012 tested above 18.9 micron. This prepotency has been proven with dramatic micron falls when crossed with ‘Coopworths’.
In the past co-efficient of fibre variation, comfort factor and tensile strength have all been considerably better than merino wool of equivalent micron whilst yield can vary from 2% to 4% lower, and likely to improve as the staple lengthens.
The Lamb:
The complete whether drop from 3 year old purebred Dohne ewes averaged 39.9kgs over the hooks at Colac in August 2011 at 12 months of age. The heaviest lamb weighed 95kgs liveweight. Four months later in early January, their sisters sold for $220 at the Casterton Ewe Sale. Although they received an excellent season, neither the lambs nor their dams received any grain feeding.
In 2010 lambs from the same 2 year old ewes broke the Hamilton Saleyards record at $185. In both cases the wean rate was around 1.3. The inbuilt purebred prepotency of Dohne ewes carries unmatched hybrid vigour when crossed with equivalent purebred sires.
Finally a WET ewe pregnancy rate over the whole stud of 200% was achieved in 2010 with fecundity prolific in good seasons.