BORDER Leicester rams play an important role within the Williams family’s Bordertown sheep enterprise, helping to produce large-framed first-cross ewes, and producer Tim Williams believes the breed has a big future.
Mr Williams said strong lambing percentages – driven by the high number of multiple births – were another benefit of the breed.
“Our first-cross Merino-Border Leicester ewe averages about 140 per cent for lambing,” he said.
“The ewes have good fertility and produce a lamb with a quality carcase.”
Mr Williams has been buying from local stud Netley Park for 25 years, and believes a lot of producers utilising Border Leicester genetics target the Naracoorte blue ribbon sale.
“Our ewe lambs averaged $247 last year at about six months of age,” he said.
Mr Williams believes the second-cross lamb is the “ideal prime lamb”.
“The second-cross lamb out of our first-cross ewe seem to be the best for weight gain,” he said.
This year, Mr Williams will sell about 1000 lambs at the Naracoorte first-cross ewe lamb sale.
The Williamses have a 2500-head Merino ewe base and a 2500hd Merino-Border Leicester ewe flock as a part of their mixed farming enterprise on 2246 hectares.
Large-framed, 1.5-year-old Merino ewes are bought in from multiple sources, including dispersal sales.
Merino ewes are joined to Border Leicester rams at the end of October for an April/May lambing to produce a first-cross ewe.
Mr Williams also operates a terminal sire system as well, with Poll Dorset rams joined to older Merino-Border Leicester ewes in October and December to produce a second-cross lamb.
First-cross ewe lambs are joined at the end of January to White Suffolk rams for ease of lambing.
“We join ewe lambs at the end of January so they are heavy enough to get in lamb,” Mr Williams said.
Terminal sires are sourced from Netley Park and the Day family’s Days Whiteface, Bordertown.
Mr Williams said the Merino-Border Leicester breed combination benefited his second-cross lamb production system because good fertility and mothering ability were paramount to producing a quality lamb.
“To be honest that would be the main benefit of the breed,” he said.
“Sometimes other crossbred ewes will abandon their lambs but a Merino-Border Leicester ewe is very protective and they also have a lot of multiples as well.”
Mr Williams said despite many producers choosing to return to the Merino breed because of high wool prices, he will remain with the Border Leicester breed because it had “lasted the test of time” as a quality genetic source.
“Our system seems to work well for us and that is why we have kept with it.”
GENETICS THRIVE IN LOCAL MARKETS
A NUTRITIOUS lamb finishing pellet is one tactic Tim Williams uses to ensure his lambs meet target markets on time, while he also selects Border Leicester rams with a good frame and eye muscle, and with minimal fat.
The Bordertown producer sells some of his first-cross Merino-Border Leicester wether lambs as suckers, depending on the season, with the majority of wethers sold off of bean stubble paddocks and after being finished on pellets in the on-farm feedlot.
“We try to reach about 20 kilograms to 26kg dressedweight for the wether lambs,” Mr Williams said.
Mr Williams targets the Naracoorte first-cross ewe lamb sale in November to market his first-cross ewe lamb portion.
“A lot of our progeny is sold south of Bordertown into the wetter climate because the first-cross ewe thrives in that region," Mr Williams said.
About 200 to 500 Merino-Border Leicester ewes are retained, creating a self-replacing flock.
The entire drop of Mr Williams’ second-cross prime lambs, sired by Poll Dorset or White Suffolk rams, are sold to an abattoir each year.
Lambs are sold from four months old until about 12 months old at about 20-28kgdwt.
“Poll Dorset genetics in particular are beneficial within our operation because the breed helps to produce a quality, well-grown lamb that performs well in the marketplace,” Mr Williams said.