Talkook Border Leicester figures stack up with quality lambs

The stud, now run by Scott and Kylie Anderson, is dedicated to producing rams with overall meat and muscle quality with excellent structure, soundness and fertility.

"We are consistently trying to improve our flock based on our clients' requirements by attempting to produce early maturing sires and ewes with high maternal instincts which they pass on to their lambs," Scott Anderson said.

"We keep up to date with the demands and qualities in the first-cross ewe industry, and we are constantly monitoring our flock for overall performance, paying particular attention to ease of lambing and the survival rate of lambs."

Border Leicester genetics have been part of the mix at Bia-Grab, Grabben Gullen, for 30 years.

David and Roy Reeves run about 3000 Merino ewes, with about 1300 joined to Border Leicester rams to produce first-cross lambs.

Mr Reeves has been a Talkook client since the stud's first sale, where he bought six rams. He returned the next year to buy a further 12.

Having access to data that can be accurately predicted is part of the attraction to Talkook, along with the stud's history in ewe and ram competitions when it was run by Mr Anderson's father Bob.

"The Talkook rams are a longer sheep and we get the eye muscle measurements - they're presenting figures that we can use to get better lambs at the other end," David Reeves said.

"We noticed that the lambs were longer and heavier at marking as soon as we started using Talkook genetics. Eye muscle depth is really important and everybody's looking for length now, whether they're going to a butcher or as a first-cross ewe. "

Two years ago the brothers made the switch to an SRS (Soft Rolling Skin) Merino in the effort to transition the traditional superfine flock to a more dual-purpose operation.

"We bought in ewes to fast-track going to the dual-purpose Merino, selling all of our old rams and joining the old ewes to the Border Leicesters, which is how we went from 200 to 300 in that flock to 1300. We haven't used the Border Leicesters over the SRS Merinos yet, but we're looking forward to it because they're already a longer sheep."

Last year's first-cross lambing was at 108 per cent, but Mr Reeves is hoping the improved lambing percentages with the SRS flock will continue, as the Merino lambing has increased to 120pc following the switch from superfine production.

Where the Border Leicesters excel is in the growth rates, with lambs reaching 44kg at four to five months, despite being from a smaller Merino ewe. The wether portion is sold as suckers but the family is flexible with the ewe market.

"Usually we'd grow out the first-cross ewes but the money was so good last year. We got $250 for five-month-old ewes at the start of December. There was no point us keeping them another 10 to 11 months to get $400 at 18 months."

Talkook genetics are allowing James and Natasha McCormack to produce high quality first-cross ewes and quick-growing second-cross lambs at Crookwell.

The McCormacks, who have been Talkook clients for three years, were traditional woolgrowers, running an 18- to 19-micron flock, but for the past 10 years they've been using Border Leicester rams to produce early-maturing lambs

They now run about 1500 Merinos and 4500 first-cross ewes on about 1214 hectares and a further 200ha of leased country.

"Scott and Kylie have done a great job in the last few years, since they've been showing again, and they're doing the right thing with the improvement of their sheep with structure and size," Mr McCormack said.

"I like the squareness of the rams, because they produce high-yielding carcases.

"I like them to be on the bigger side as rams for growth rates in the lambs and we're trying to buy from the higher end which have been picked out as high performers early in life."

The crossbred lambing is in June, with the first-cross ewes retained.

Wethers are sold through the Yass saleyards, along with all second-cross lambs.

The McCormacks are flexible on marketing, depending on the season, but they aim for a sale weight of about 50kg, with lambs finished on improved pastures including microlaena, clover and ryegrass.

"We're getting early maturing lambs.

"Our second-cross lambs are good trade weights, so they're sent as suckers, most going in November and December, in the mid 40s to 50kg.

"Because most of them are gone as suckers, we don't have to do much with them, so we really only shear the first-cross now."