Kukerin Lambs Take Second Title
When Dumbleyung/Kukerin producer Jon Ward last won WAMMCO’s Producer of the Month title in October 2009 his winning consignment consisted of 261 lambs, with carcases weighing an average of 22.49 kg to return $102.89 per head including skin.
He has just clocked up his second award, - for a line of 201 lambs that averaged 22.73 kg and returned $113.66 per head , - processed at WAMMCO Katanning a week before Christmas to take out the December 2014 title.
Jon said the line was his last for the year following an excellent season, downgraded by six inches of rain over two days in October.
“The downpour upset pastures and caused havoc with our crops, and fortunately we had sold three quarters of our lambs in Spring,” he said. “My only regret was that instead of feedlotting the best of the remaining lambs, we left them in the paddock on a ration of pellets via feeders.”
The sheep enterprise on his properties ‘Yaudling’ at Dumbleyung and ‘Siberia’ at Kukerin has increased slightly to a base flock of 2500 ewes, half of which are first cross SAMM Merino ewes mated to White Suffolk rams from Ditchburns at Kukerin with the other half consisting of Merino ewes mated to Merino rams from the Goodings at Tarin Rock.
Jon likes the SAMM influence in the ewes for his prime lamb enterprise and intends to replace some of his aging SAMM/Merino first cross ewe flock in 2015. He is pleased with the results of his shift to White Suffolk rams, in that they continue to distinguish with good growth rates and are easy to manage.”
Local farm worker Wade Cook joined him full time three years ago, and Landmark Dumbleyung stock representative Scott Jefferis continues to assist with stock production and marketing strategies.
“We have not changed the balance of our enterprise much since 2009, but I should probably be running more sheep if values stay above $100 per head.
“I am also watching with interest the impressive history WAMMCO is building with their annual rebates to producer members.”
Jon and wife Candice were expecting their first child when the family including father Terry and wife Karen, were declared lamb producers of the month for October 2009. The couple now have two daughters aged three and five.
Second POM Win For 'Naballing'
Peter and Lee Bessell-Browne of ‘Naballing,’ Woodanilling were thrilled to take out the WAMMCO Producer of the Month title for March 2019 with a draft of 109 Merino/Prime SAMM ...
Read moreClose Call
Not much further north at Kulin – in another area of the lakes belt that also experienced a lack of winter rain – the Lucchesi family came a very close ...
Read moreMLA and AWI wool and sheepmeat survey
Three times a year, MLA and AWI run a joint survey to collect sheepmeat industry livestock numbers and lamb production expectations. Production and producer intentions are regularly monitored to generate ...
Read moreKojonup Family Wins POM
Nearly five years spent accumulating and reclaiming valuable farming land at Kojonup from the bluegum plantation industry, is beginning to pay dividends for WAMMCO’s December 2018 Producers of the ...
Read more“Off The Hook” confirms co-op’s value to WA sheep producers
How close Western Australia’s now thriving producer lamb co-operative came to collapse after its establishment in 1999, is a reality few people understood before the recent release of WAMMCO&...
Read more
