Shearing every eight months is paying off for Callowie Poll Merino stud, Bordertown, receiving the reserve champion fleece in the Merino performance section of the Australian Fleece Competition.
The 20.1 micron fleece grown by Richard and Jacquie Halliday scored 92.90 points out of a possible 100.
The reserve champion was from a 3.5-year-old scanned in lamb ewe shorn in March and was valued at $57.46– equating to $1.85 a week of wool growth, or $96.20 a year.
“It was one of the red tag special stud ewes straight out of the paddock so it would have had at least one lamb and been back in lamb again,” Mr Halliday said.
Mr Halliday said they had moved to shearing more frequently four years ago after receiving discounts for their hogget wool being too long.
“It may not work for everyone but it works for our management, shearing before lambing and then again around weaning,” he said.
Mr Halliday said the Merino performance class, which is open to those who shear every six to eight months, was a good benchmarking tool with calculations for weekly wool growth.
“Ninety three millimetres in eight months is 156mm in 12 months – so in a two-year period we are producing about $180 of wool and at least two lambs which is a really good return.”
Phil Venning, Clare, exhibited the most valuable fleece for SA with his 16.2M Merino ewe’s fleece worth $119.03.
Mr Venning has been using Rock-Bank bloodlines for many years in his commercial flock of 40 ewes.
Australian Fleece Competition convener, Landmark’s Candice Cordy said half of the total entries across the classes were commercial fleeces reinforcing the relevance of the fully measured criteria for growers.
“One of this year’s highlights was the fantastic display of Polwarth and Corriedale entries,” she said.