SUMMER 2002-2003 EDITION 4
PRESIDENT'S REPORT
As we gain more experience with Finns I am convinced we need to move to improve the breed via infusions and have had some success with the Suffolk. The maternal sire results show some promise but we are still trailing the Leicesters, apart from spring lambing.
We need to improve the size of our ewes and the weaning percentage along with a program to educate growers and processors about the bone out %. Our sheep do not have the rounded out looks of the traditional meat crosses as a result of their fat distribution.
I would also like to gain a better understanding of the quality, taste and leanness characteristics of the meat. To date we have not had enough animals to do this sort of work but the numbers are building up and we would be prepared to offer some of our flock for these evaluations.
WOOL
We have a major story to tell here and I believe we would have looked better in the national sire trials if the true value of our product was taken into account. We are working hard to ensure the acceptance of our wool in the handicraft area increases, with the expectation that this will lead to a greater appreciation and demand from the commercial wool buyers. I believe we are starting to see some of this happening as per Graham and Tony’s results.
I have to admit progress has been slow but nonetheless progress has been made. Whilst the drought is not helping our cause at present as things improve the need to rapidly build up the national flock should enable us to highlight the benefits of multiple lambing first crosses.
I would like to wish you all well for the Christmas and New Year period and propose we arrange to meet in Holbrook in March to have our mid year meeting. This will also give us the opportunity of visiting the Chastons property and looking at their operation. I will, in conjunction with Jean organise an agenda and welcome any thoughts, comments or agenda items you would like to have discussed.
Gerry Shepherd (President)
FINNS MAKE THEIR MARK IN FERTILITY
One of the nation’s newer breeds, the Australian Finnsheep made its debut at the Holbrook, NSW Sheep and Wool Fair in early November.
Commercial woolgrowers Tony and Melissa Chaston exhibited purebred Finn rams and ewes, and showcased Finn-Merino cross ewes to the industry.
Finnsheep were first imported in 1994 but have been excluded from showing until now while stud masters build numbers. Finnsheep are one of several Northern European short-tailed Landrace breeds and are known for their high fertility, with lambing percentages of 260.
As members of the Australian Finnsheep Breeders Association, the Chaston’s aim to use the Finn to breed an efficient prime lamb dam suited to Australia’s sheep/wheat belt and higher rainfall grazing zones.
The Chaston’s had progeny tested Finn rams within their Merino flock since 1995 before making a move in 2000 to start their own pure bred flock to breed replacement rams. They chose Finns because they wanted to breed a first cross ewe with high fertility.
Their merino ewes average 22.5 micron and have found generally the Finn adds one micron and drops 1 Kg off the wool cut. The Finn adds 10mm to the length of the wool staple, there is no increase in prickle factor and there is no back wrinkle (on The sheep) meaning easier shearing. They sold 22.8-micron wool from our F1 ewes in July and received 690c/kg.
So they have saleable wool and a first cross ewe with enough milk to support an average 170 per cent lambing.
Tony said that the Finn was a lean breed, carrying its body fat around the internal organs. This makes the F1 ewe ideal for crossing with terminal sires. They cross their F1 ewes with Dorset and Texel Rams, and take the lambs to export weights.
Soon VIAscan will be coming on line (in abattoirs), there will be increased fat penalties and the Finn can keep fat scores to an average of 3.5 at a carcass weight of 24kg plus.
Tony prefers to sell the F1 Wether lambs direct as the animals have a high saleable meat yield. It’s hard to convince people in the sale yard because there is not the bone and the fat.
People can see the wool and body size but cannot see the high protein milk, high fertility and the fact that the breed carries body fat around the internal organs.
Chaston’s can turn off F1 Finn lambs two months earlier than Merino lambs in our feedlot and that is money saved at 20c a kg a head a day.
(This article has been adapted from Weekly Times Nov 13th, ‘02)
A FAIR PRICE FOR FARMERS
A Bank manager was given the following explanation for a farmer's financial woes.
'It all started back in '66 when they changed from pounds to dollars - me overdraft doubled.'
'Then they brought in kilograms instead of pounds -
me wool clip dropped by half.'
'Then they changed rain to millimetres and we haven't had an inch of rain since.'
'They brought in Celcius, and it never got over 40 degrees - no wonder me wheat won't grow.'
'Then they changed acres to hectares and I end up with half the land I had.'
'By this time I'd had it, and decided to sell out. I got the place in the agent's hands when they changed from miles to kilometres.'
'Now, I'm too far out of town for anyone to buy the flamin' place!'
FAIRFIELD FINNS
We have now finished our lambing and the results are as follows: -
Finns (13 ewes)
Lambs born – 31 Weaned – 19
Finns, F1, F2, F3 (16 ewes)
Lambs born – 34 Weaned – 29
We have had no losses as a result of fox activity; all the pure Finns were sheded at night and received supplementary feeding with lucerne and lupins. Most of the Finns gave birth in the shed and were kept inside until the lambs were 2 weeks old.
We are very disappointed with the high losses that occurred and can only put them down to two factors: - a) some of the ewes were first timers and possibly a bit young and b) poor genetics. The latter factor was as a result of the poor stock we started with. However we are now in a position to cull under performing ewes and will use the following major criteria, poor size and confirmation, survival rate of lambs produced, number of lambs produced, mothering capabilities and finally but of increasing importance wool quality and quantity.
Further to improving our genetics we now have some F3’s that are of excellent quality and we are hopeful the F4’s will be of stud quality. In this regard we have had the most success with our Suffolk infusion. The crosses being large framed, fertile, good mothers and having quite nice wool.
We will proceed to register 4 one year old Finn rams for stud and have a further 5 flock Finns also a year old for sales. We have also kept a couple of Finn/Suffolk and Finn/Cheviots intact for no particular reason.
WOOL
Over the last three years we have seen good growth in the interest in and sales of our Finn and Finn cross wools at the Bendigo and other shows we have attended. Of most importance is that a lot of this growth has occurred as a result of repeat purchases.
We have contacted a number of spinning groups, given sample fleeces away, sent samples to a number of parties and advertised in the Machine Knitters Association newsletter.
Maureen has undertaken a spinning course and made sales to the instructor and other classmates. The Spinners Guild also have sales days where growers are encouraged to display and sell their wool. Maureen will attend some of these days.
Last year we also sent about 35kg of our not so good fleeces for processing into hanks, cones and balls. Sales of this material have been slow, but we have seen some interest from machine knitters and will process some into 2, 3 and 5ply cones, which is their preferred range of thickness.
We will also put up our own website in the next couple of months highlighting the Finn wool attributes.
Further we have invested in three coloured ewes and one coloured ram (Bonds) with the view to producing pure coloured Finns, again to capitalise on the wool qualities.
Maureen & Gerry Shepherd
LODDON RISE FINNS
In this year of the 100-year drought WOOL has been our major income for the season.
With lack of pasture growth the ewes left the weaker twin lamb behind so there were many to collect. As the feed struggled with lack of rain and our supplies of fodder came to an end so the lambs have struggled to gain any size or weight. Most of our prime lambs were sold as stores – babies! – for give away prices. We are retaining the better lambs for the feedlot and hope to cash in on the shortage of good lambs early in the New Year.
Finn x Merino wool has fetched a premium price this November. Test results from Australian Wool Testing Authority were 22.9 micron, with a yield of 74.8% and a comfort factor of 88.2%. Using this report we were offered 840c per kilo for the fleece wool. On the same day medium merino wool offer was 790c per kilo.
The silky sheen, well-developed crimp and softness produced by the loft are the three most obvious characteristics of the Finn fleece. These qualities produce superior crossbred wool, which is highly saleable and adds to the profitability of all Finn crosses.
One of our clients also realised 820c @ kilo for his Finn x Merino wool this year. He was unable to keep these ewes over the big dry and sold them to a Tasmanian for $54 a head. It was a very reluctant sale.
On her trip to the World Women on Farms Conference in Spain our neighbour Colleen was taken over two woollen mills in Italy where Australian superfine wool is woven into cloth. One of the factories was incorporating a blend and the preferred blend was Finn x Merino. This factory in Southern Italy produces fine cloth for up-market suits and apparel.
To keep our superior prime lamb dams during this drought we have developed a stock containment area.
Bruce & Jean McClymont
LODDON LAMB RACKS
4 Lean Racks of Lamb, each containing 3 cutlets
3 cloves garlic
1 tbs wholegrain mustard
12 – 16 baby new potatoes
120g tasty cheese
1 tbs margarine or butter
1 tbs chopped parsley
1 cucumber
3 tomatoes
¼ cup herb & garlic salad dressing
1 tbs chopped mint
Method:
Trim lamb of excess fat. Peel garlic, cut into thin slivers and insert into meat. Spread each rack with mustard. Microwave on HIGH (100%) in a shallow microwave dish for 12 minutes.
Boil potatoes for-12 – 15 minutes, or until tender.
Combine cheese and parsley with a little margarine and spread over racks of lamb.
Arrange cucumber and tomato in a shallow heatproof pan. Pour over dressing and place under a hot grill with racks of lamb , cook until cheese melts.
Serve racks of lamb with potatoes, cucumber and tomatoes, sprinkled with mint. Serves 4
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