Sheep self feeders a stepping stone to improving business results

What’s more, Mr Hetherington has recently invested in self feeding grain bins to improve all aspects of his sheep operation, from conception to wool production.

Mr Hetherington said he aimed to continually improve his business with practical forward steps rather than complacency.

“A lot of the new ideas out there only work in some instances,” he said.

“I’m starting with self feeders because they seem the most beneficial and practical way of improving my results - it’s better late than never.”

Mr Hetherington said science rarely entered his operation yet he had always been pleased with his outcomes.

“We don’t pregnancy scan yet we get 120 per cent at lambing so we must be doing something right,” he said.

“In theory we should probably wet and dry them at marking but the numbers beat you.

“It can be so hard to get reliable and trained hands on the ground so you can only do what you can do.”

Mr Hetherington said he coincided weaning with shearing to lighten the workload and costs.

“It’s a bit late doing it that way but it’s easier to keep them in a paddock when they’re with their mothers,” he said.

“As soon as you wean them they just scatter everywhere and we don’t have the infrastructure to hold them off the ewes a while before letting them out.

“We put some old wethers out with them to encourage them to stick around and pick up any that get out at a later handling stage - it means contracting hands are needed less often and it works for us.” 

Mr Hetherington said the most practical way of progressing his business at present was the purchase of self feeders.

“Now I can hopefully feed them when things get crook, everything takes time,” he said. 

“Nowadays you’ve got to set yourself up for drought, it’s been the biggest hurdle in our industry lately.”

Innovation is clearly not lost on sheep producers with the enduring goal of securing a strong name for the sheep industry among Queensland’s boundless primary production.