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We manage the Wongajong flock in ways that are consistent with good practice in the sheep industry and also good practice for comparing the performance of each sheep. The step in genetic analysis made by LAMBPLAN is to compare each lamb with other lambs that have been fed alike. Therefore, each group of sheep is grazed and fed as a single flock so that each sheep has the same opportunity for growth.
Ewes are joined in March in single-sire groups of 30-60 ewes. In most years we run an AI program to give the stud access to the better young sires from other Border Leicester Studs in the $uperBorder$ group. This program also provides continuing direct links with other studs for genetic comparison.
The main lambing is in August. Lambs are tagged within 12 hours of birth to ensure accurate pedigrees. All lambs are weighed as they are tagged so that growth to weaning is determined accurately. Triplets are fairly common (10-15% of ewes lambing) and these are drafted into a separate paddock if one is available. Fox control is achieved by electric fencing.
The flock is split into twin and single bearing ewes based on scanning information, to help management of the ewe-lamb flock during lambing.
Lambs are weaned at 10-12 weeks. All are weighed and drenched at that time. After weaning the ram and ewe lambs are run together until the following March to allow equal opportunity for growth. They are grazed on dryland lucerne, but this is often in short supply over the summer so they may receive a supplement of oats/lupins or barley. The aim is to keep them growing steadily. They are weighed again at 6 months of age.
All ram lambs and all ewe lambs that have not been culled earlier, are scanned by ultra-sound for fat and eye-muscle depth at about 9 months of age, by accredited operators. Eye-muscle depth is measured at a specific point that is known to relate to meat in the loin. Lambs are also weighed at this time. This data is used by LAMBPLAN to calculate fat and eye muscle EBVs for all lambs. We do not publish the raw data because these values cannot be compared with sheep run under different management conditions or measured by different operators, without going through the LAMBPLAN program.
Lambs are shorn in December. All sheep are shorn in May and the fleece of each young sheep is weighed.
Final yearling weights are taken in August. The various sets of data are sent to LAMBPLAN as they are collected. The final ASBVs from LAMBPLAN on a year's lambs are received in late August. The ASBVs of each ram are then transferred to the sales list.