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At the Parent Stud, we don’t talk about feet issues, we focus on correct skeletal structure. If the front and back legs are right, with some neck extension, incorrect feet become virtually non-existent.
That being said, purchasing a ram is a significant investment and we recommend checking and if necessary, trimming toes before the ram goes out to work (along with testicles and mouth).
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Absolutely. The SheepMaster ewe, being a maternal can be used with SheepMaster rams as a self-replacing option or with a terminal ram of your choice, with all lambs going to slaughter (no shearing of carryover lambs).
Clients are reporting great success with either alternate matings (SheepMaster/terminal/SheepMaster etc) or mating young SheepMaster ewes to SheepMaster rams and older ewes to terminals.
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Unlike some other shedders, SheepMaster’s have a naturally calm temperament (which we actively select for) and will not cross fences unless pressured or starving.
Calm temperament has been shown to be positively correlated to the wellbeing, health, production, reproduction and lamb survival in sheep.
We are currently working on the development of a sheep specific ASBV (Australian Sheep Breeding Values) for temperament.
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No. SheepMasters have a skin like a cow, therefore there is no need shearing.
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Obviously there are many factors that contribute to lambs marked/weaned. At the parent stud, we join every 8 months, and our ewes are kept in a condition score (BCS) of 2.5. With this, we expect each joining to achieve a percentage of 140% e.g. 140% x 3 = 420 / 2 years = 210% per year.
Maiden ewes are mated at 60kg’s live weight, scanned and empty ewes are rejoined. From there, all ewes are required to get in lamb every 8 months.
Clients are achieving the ultimate goal of weaning a ewe’s body weight per year. Our management mantra is that all ewes must be either in lamb or with a lamb at foot.
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No. Due to their unique skin, external parasites are not an issue.
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We recommend putting rams out at 2%
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As long as ewes are meeting all classing and reproductive requirements, our experience is that a ewes productive life can extend beyond 10 years. This is a lot of lambs, and offers massive advantages to producers with high freight costs for low value mutton versus high value lambs. For more, see FAQ regarding udders below.
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Udders are the forgotten selection criteria in the shedding sheep industry, with far too many ewes having dropped down udders or bottle teats after their first or second lambing. Any ewe whose udder doesn’t return to a maiden type structure (both udder and teats) will be culled.
Note: newborn lambs that cannot get their mouth over a teat will die.
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We believe the taste of the meat is fantastic. Eating quality ASBV’s will soon be available.
Come along to one of our roadshow events and try some for yourself!
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Just like cattle, temperature variations are not an issue with true cleanskin sheep. We currently have clients running SheepMaster’s in the South Island of New Zealand who are thrilled with their performance.
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No. As our sheep have a clean hide similar to cattle, you won’t see wool lying around in the paddock.
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We always ask ourselves the question “why do something that’s not required?”.
As they are clean skins, the tail acts like a windscreen wiper, keeping the rear end clean. Further to this, as the animal welfare lobby becomes stronger, we believe it is advantageous to be ahead of the game. Finally, there is no setback at marking (estimated at 3 weeks). We believe the tail also assists with balance and mobility as well as contributing to ease of lambing with virtually no prolapse.
All said and done, the decision to leave tails on has been overwhelmingly positive across all areas of management.
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Contact the Parent Stud to chat about sourcing stud and commercial ewes. See the ‘Services’ page on the website.
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We recommend ewes in strong joining condition (BCS 2.5+) should be joined for no more than 6 weeks (ideally 5). Rams should be inspected prior to joining and be in great working order (BCS 3). If in any doubt, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
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SiImilar to cattle, as the weather warms up, some sheep will rub to help remove their winter coat.
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No science exists equating black pigmentation to the structural integrity of the hoof. We believe a correct skeletal structure leads to correct feet set up, and the elimination of feet related issues. In regards to other black points, due to the Damara background, their eyes are naturally hooded (as per Bos Indicus cattle) and we haven’t seen any incidents of skin or sun related issues.
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Obviously there are many factors that contribute to worm related issues in sheep.
At the Parent Stud, we are working to include worm resistance in our ASBV’s and believe a well planned, strategic drenching program is invaluable in maintaining sheep health and productivity.
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Commercial ram prices start from $1,500. Grades are available from Commercial through to Elite.
Please contact us for further information.
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The first point is, management of a SheepMaster is very similar to management of cattle in regards to labour requirements. However from there, things change pretty drastically.
A ewe lamb born today, can have a lamb at foot in 13 months and marketed 18 months. A SheepMaster ewe can have it’s first lamb at 13 months, then again every 8 months following. You can run 8 ewes to 1 cow, which equates to 16 lambs to 0.9 of a calf.
SheepMaster ewes can wean their own body weight in a 12 month period, which equates to 520kg (65 x 8). Compare that to a cow!
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SheepMaster and SheepMaster X lambs are consistently performing well at processing facilities across the country.
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Yes. SheepMaster was developed at Elleker, WA which has an annual rainfall of 1200mm. Ewes were often walking around up to their hocks in water without any noticeable production related issues.
