MATCHING their sheep operation with intensive cropping led John and Victoria Day, Boundrina, Reeves Plains, to embrace the increasingly popular prime lamb trend.
The Days run 4000 Merino ewes, buying replacement ewes to join to White Suffolks.
Third-generation farmer John made the move to White Suffolk sires about 15 years ago, switching from the traditional Suffolk breed to get away from black points.
Since then, the Days have not looked back.
"With the White Suffolk you get a big lamb and they are fairly well sought after," John said.
Part of the original reason they went with White Suffolks was their recovery time during tough seasons.
"If we get a bit of a check in the season or a bit of dry weather, they probably come back a bit quicker," he said.
"We'll stick with the White Suffolk."
With Dublin markets nearby, the Days make use of market-selling with the biggest percentage of their lambs sold this way.
John says this is a good way to gauge prices, which he then uses to look at selling on-farm at a suitable carcaseweight.
"There's definitely a place for auctions to set the price for kilogram per weight," he said.
"Sometimes we play them against each other but the auction usually sets the price and acts as a good guideline."
The Days sell prime lambs year-round, the bulk as suckers or as summer lambs.
"We probably go to 40 markets a year out of the 52," John said.
They also try to sell as many lambs as possible before shearing, which is usually in September or October.
Any that were held over after shearing are usually sold early in the new year.
Lambs are usually sold in the 18-kilogram to 22kg range, at different weights to take in different markets.
* Full report in Stock Journal, August 28, 2014 issue.
