ON FARM NATIONAL Productivity benefits “We were nervous about playing around phosphorus/DSE is used. They Eve and Mark used the Lifetime Ewe with genetics in case our wool cut took target an Olsen P of 20 and use soil Management program to identify sheep a hit, but we now run ewes that are 5kg analysis to identify any other element profit drivers which can be employed heavier and produce robust lambs, and requirements, which are applied if the for productivity and carbon benefits. the average micron has only gone from budget allows. 18.2 to 19,” Mark said. • A pasture renovation program is used Mark said they were not doing anything with regular soil tests every five years radical; it just came down to striving for Profit driver 2: growth rates and pasture analysis conducted by a best practice management to achieve a Merino wethers are either retained soil nutritionist or agronomist. Pastures highly fertile, highly efficient flock. on-farm for wool production or sold via are perennial grasses that can Mark and Eve moved towards carbon Victorian abattoirs as chilled or frozen capitalise on summer rainfall events neutrality without compromising product into the Middle Eastern and (which are predicted to increase productivity and maintain stocking rates North African market. Offspring from with climate variability), pastures that of 20–22 dry sheep equivalents (DSE)/ the first-cross program are directed to perform through the winter at low soil ha, close to double the district average. domestic processors. temperatures, and lucerne to be used The terminal flock lambs in June, and strategically to reduce reliance on There is a carbon benefit in this bought-in feed. approach – by improving the fecundity Mark aims to finish these lambs off grass within five months, before the • Feed budgets are used to match and feed conversion efficiency of their demand to pasture growth. flock, Mark and Eve are also reducing dry summer hits. The Merino portion of lambs hit the ground in August and Containment paddocks, supplementary methane emissions from livestock. feeding and, if necessary, the feedlot, can be finished in an on-farm feedlot, “Carbon sense makes economic sense” if required. are used through autumn to protect is Mark’s mantra. pastures and maintain 100% ground “By improving genetics, we are cover all year. Profit driver 1: lambing percentage improving feed conversion efficiency – • Numerous shallow dams that had high Mark and Eve run 25,000 Merino we have seen the weight gains of these evaporation rates have been replaced ewes; 40% are joined to terminal sires Merino lambs lift from 200–220g/day to with deep-water storage dams which and 60% to Merino rams bred in their 300–330g/day,” he said. hold from 20 to 45 megalitres. Mark Jigsaw Farms stud. sees the lower evaporation rates Profit driver 3: pasture utilisation as a win-win for the farm and the They work with sheep consultant Dr “Growing grass and managing it well is Mark Ferguson to breed a true dual- natural catchment. core to our business,” Mark said. purpose sheep and select for carcase “By improving pastures and ensuring traits such as muscle, as well as fertility- Grazing principles include the following: water security, we have doubled influencing traits including fat. • A balanced grazing system which the stocking rates on our land since They want to lift lambing percentages receives an annual maintenance we bought it, but still remain carbon from 100% (lambs weaned from ewes program of at least 0.8 units of neutral,” he said. joined) to 120% through strategies such as: • maintaining ewe condition score, with a target of three for joining and after weaning • pregnancy scanning, so ewes with multiple lambs can be managed according to their higher nutritional requirements • running optimum mob sizes of 150 for twinning ewes and 350 for single-bearing ewes during lambing. Extra productivity is being achieved by joining 25–30% of ewe lambs. SNAPSHOT:Mark Wootton and Eve Kantor, Hamilton, VictoriaSl Area: Enterprise: Livestock: Pasture: Soil: Rainfall: 3,378ha Dual-purpose 25,000 ewes, Phalaris, fescue Duplex soils 650mm Merino sheep 300 Poll Hereford and clover mix and cattle breeders perennial pastures 21