Benchmarking plays a big role when increasing profitability. We believe that using clients wethers in wether trials, is the only true indication of how a stud is performing. If wethers are from the ram breeding source then the result should either be decreased by 20 to 25% or only compared to other sheep directly from the ram breeding source. The reason for that is they are sired by rams that the commercial merino breeder never gets the chance to buy. Having said that the wether trial at “Paling Yards’ is currently the worlds largest single site comparison of merino genetics where all teams have been sourced from commercial wool growers NOT STUDS. Profitability is measured per head and also per hectare. Marilba Past Co owned by Rob and Suzie Shannon and family near Yass finished in the top 20% of the 30 teams. Per hectare this puts the Shannon’s sheep at over $800 per hectare. Well above the bottom 20% which were down as low as $478 per hectare. The results from this trial are 95% accurate because of each team having 30 sheep in it. Most trials are 75% accurate with only 12 to 15 sheep.
Marilba Past Co has been buying Middle View rams for some 18 to 20 years and therefore is a very good indication of the profitability of the Middle View bloodline.
Body wrinkle is an issue these days with the mulesing debate. Middle View have decreased body wrinkle while increasing wool cut. The Paling Yard Trial measured the body wrinkle on all the sheep and Marilba sheep were in the top 20% for the least amount of wrinkle. Marilba also were in the top 10 teams for $/head wool, total $/head, net $/hectare and net $/DSE. The Marilba team was 15% above the average for $ per hectare. All these results are purely because of superior genetics.
