The saying goes, “You’ve got to be tough to survive in the Mallee.” Whether that is strictly true in every sense of the word or not, it certainly takes mental toughness to be able to handle the seasonal fluctuations and challenges this marginal farming country throws up from year to year; none more so than this year.
However, many do survive these challenges and more than that, they succeed where many would fail to even try. Jody and Karen Flavel and their children form one such family, farming 4856 hectares along the border with Victoria, extending from Meribah northwards towards Taplan, their property being ‘Jax Joynt’.
Jody and Karen, with sons Adam and Patrick, crop 3200 to 3600 hectares of mixed cereal crops annually, plus another 800 hectares of vetch mixed with barley or oats for sheep feed.
That supplements the other part of their farming business, a 1000 self-replacing flock of Poll Merino ewes, 300 replacement ewe joggers, the breeding rams, plus their annual progeny. Being adaptable to changing circumstances has seen the flannels run beef cattle and pigs in the past, but these have now been phased out for economic and management reasons. They achieve this enterprise mis on an average rainfall of just 275mm, but this year they only received 50mm to the end of June, but 20mm in July has greatly improved the seasonal outlook.
“while we would like to receive a decent opening from the end of March or through April sometime, when the rain falls is the most important factor,” Jody said.
“We can do well with less than the average if it falls at the right time, but a lack of early rain this year, followed by heavy frosts has been really challenging.”
It doesn’t take much imagination to conclude that it also takes a special breed or strain of sheep to not only survive but to also thrive in this country.
For the Flavels, they have found that the Lampata Poll Merino bloodlines bred by Bruce, Gaye, Robert and Courtney Pocock at Lameroo have the genetic capacity to achieve the results they are looking for, while also being acclimatised and adapted from decades of performance selection in the region.
The Flavels started purchasing Lampata rams a bit over ten years ago.
“I met Bruce at our previous supplier’s property about the time they were going out of ram breeding due to retirement, but it wasn’t an automatic switch. We found the benefits that Lampata has brought after initially trialling SAMMs,” Jody said.
“The aim was to get size and extra lamb weight, but despite their recognised carcase qualities, there was no price per kilo benefit from SAMMs and we lost wool cut and quality, so our total sheep income was down. Thus, we went to Lampata; Mallee bred and commercially run under normal paddock conditions.”
“They have high fertility with lots of twins, very good carcase qualities and their wool growing capacity, especially being good over the backs to keep the dust out, were all things that matched what we are trying to achieve, so all in all it has been a perfect match,” Jody said.
At Jax Joynt to fit in with the total property management cycle around their cropping program, the Flavels lamb from the end of March and into April, mating from the end of October through November.
“We have averaged over 100% every year, even in this one,” Jody said. “Lamb survival is always the greatest challenge with many twins and even triplets, but this is the first year we’ve supplementary fed.”
They mark the lambs mid-June. It is then that they know their total numbers, and when they usually organise an ‘on-hooks’ contract for their wether portion and surplus ewe lambs, using the services of Landmark’s Loxton office to find the best deal from the various processor options.
“We haven’t done that this year due to the seasonal uncertainty, with the numbers we’ll be able to sell off their mothers being hazy, plus the lamb price is on an upward trend anyway,” Jody said.
The flock has been shorn in September after the 250 to 300 replacement ewe weaners are selected. The surplus woolly lambs are sold over the hooks, with any “not up to scratch” being shorn and finished later on grain stubbles.
“The vetch has an agronomic benefit within our cropping program, but there is also the double grazing benefit of enabling us to reach lamb target weights straight off their mothers,” Jody said.
“Because of the program and vetch backup, we generally only have a ten to fifteen percent maximum carryover,” he added.
Any initial ewe replacement selections that later fall behind also go into this small carryover mob to be sold in summer.
“Our carcase target weight is in the 25 to 30kg range, so we are looking at sales once they reach 50kg live weight.”
“This year we have had several enquiries for surplus ewe lambs, but we haven’t got the flexibility of time to muck around, so if anyone offers a premium over the hooks price, the lambs will still need to go when we are ready to sell,” Jody said.
A relatively new management decision has been to now shear twice per year, in March and September, this being the second year of doing so.
“With a heavy 12 month fleece, the ewes have a lot of weight to carry, and while shearing twice per year means you don’t get such big fleeces, it eliminates most management issues, especially flies; plus should we get an outside infestation of things like lice, it makes it much easier to quickly undertake remedial action.”
“It is early days yet, but they still have good staple length and it is safe to say the move has been okay. We get an increase in vegetable matter in the March shearing, but the wool is cleaner in September, so what you lose in one, you gain in the other.”
“Overall the sheep do better, grow more wool and total sheep income is better.” Jody said.
Jax Joynt usually purchases up to 10 rams/year, initially purchasing the higher numbers to ‘catch up’ after the SAMM trial.
“We look to spread our dollars over numbers rather than chase select top rams. Lampata has a large drop and they rigorously measure and test under paddock conditions, so they are not going to be putting up any rubbish for sale.”
“To be honest, we don’t believe there is a genetic difference between the top priced rams and the rest that matches the purchase price difference that often exists. We are looking for a good line of rams that have the right bits in the right places and are good over their backs.”
“We definitely don’t want wrinkle; a son who used to shear makes sure we keep that in check, plus we get higher skin prices on the lambs if wrinkle free,” Jody said.
“We are producing a good mob of sheep; not necessarily anything special, but they are productive Mallee sheep with high lambing percentages that allow continual flock improvement through good selection pressure,” Jody concluded.
