Stuart Kemp

An innovation I am working on......felt fencing... Sigh, the transition to shedding sheep presents some challenges...

@BradW00ldridge @paradooprime @Tedthekelpie Yes. True cost of energy sources would allow the market to allocate resources efficiently and negated the need to use other tools to like LGCs for renewables. Nb, plenty of roos live in our local pine plantations... control measures are insufficient.

@pasturewise @paradooprime @Tedthekelpie wouldn't a price on carbon be a cost that would be passed onto consumers ?

Righto anyone has some accurate clues on what the cost would be to remove the big wind towers once they lay idle after 20 years. I need a figure including inflation to remove all infrastructure including roads , concrete footings etc

@paradooprime @BradW00ldridge @Tedthekelpie With respect, a price on carbon via a market approach would probably have avoided the need for LGCs which is the bulk of "subsidies" which incidentally is pd by retailers ie us.... "We" got that wrong ~10 yrs ago... no doubt I will be criticised for this.

@BradW00ldridge @Tedthekelpie We will look back on many of these highly subsidised wind farms in 20 years and wonder what a complete shimozzle. we do this every day bouncing over our pot holed roads ,dodging plaques of kangaroos pouring out of blue gum plantations. So sad & so stupid. Dumb country.

@paradooprime 3.2mm over the 3 days here too....

Moisture probes are awesome for modern day farming. Listening to nature also.It might be hard to hear but a huge orchestra of frogs tonight must be a great sign from my neighbors swamp. I don’t recall hearing them last year. wonderful rain for southern oz. 🙏👌

Weighing out fertiliser for forage cereal trials just harvested. Forecast rain in the coming few days will be welcome!

@KennedyCreek1 Fescues also a great option. Going to put phalaris in next year. Have massively destocked to ride out this year and will take 2-3 yrs to recover numbers, so good chance to get the slower establishing species in.

@pasturewise Be good to see it a few weeks after it gets a bit of a drink. Hope some 🌧️🌧️arrives soon for it. Need to get more of it on our place

It's a bit stressed, but gee the phalaris has hung on well. Curiously, every night my stocking rate lifts by 30-40% but the roos clearly preference everything else before phalaris....

Well, that point has been reached. Nil autumn break means no late winter feed for lambing so these girls will have to go. 21/22/23 drop Composite x Nudie ewes mated to Nudie rams. Great way to kick-start entry into shedding sheep. Lambing ~10th August. DM or call if interested.

Been a fairly tough period and not much rain fell over Easter. Going to be interesting to see how well everything has survived... can you spot the phalaris?

@agronomybrady Challenge seems to be holding the reproduction rates up as I make the transition. The larger composites helped with reproduction bit they were too large really....80+kg and 3+ CS gave weaning rates over 180%....but dragging them across the boards was getting harder. 🤣🤣

@pasturewise Thanks. Yes. Frame not as large as the pure composites but have better back end shape and muscle. Yielding better over the hooks. 2nd X look more even and prob a better animal again.

One for you @agronomybrady ...I have woolly ones and full shedding ones, and everything in between... its an untidy looking ewe flock atm. Last of the coopworth Composites leave the farm in 2 weeks.

@agronomybrady @OldFarmUte Any key differences to Nudies or much the same?

@OldFarmUte @pasturewise They are a selection from The Nudie from Cashmore park.

@Binnicreeklamb @agronomybrady Probably a good option.

@pasturewise @agronomybrady With those sheep not shedding just on the back what chance of putting thru a handler and shearing that off with a battery hand piece?

@agronomybrady Paid the same rate per head for each of these at shearing...🤣🤣 Looking forward to bot needing to shear again..

@pasturewise Taken me a while to draft off the blue tags These are a mixed mob of composites, 1st X Low footprint x comp, & 1st x ultra white x comp ewe hoggets Most shedding well & almost all 1st X will not require crutching as their bums are clean. Wt gain and structure 👍 Carcase 💰👍👍

@lochsfarming @k_bolto @benfirman11 @kbolto In the end tho, it was the challenge of getting shearers, easier care, and lower workload for me, and the cost for updating and expanding infrastructure that helped drive the decision to go shedders.

@k_bolto @benfirman11 Thanks @kbolto. We’re seeing a difference in the nudies v composites of about 10-12% in scanning, but for us it’s not a great concern… if we can still scan 185% we’re in a good spot. Pretty anecdotal but their growth seems to be about 10% less.

How much is wool costing you? I did the numbers on our operation if we hadn’t made a move to Nudies, looking solely at wool costs - wool income… coming up with a net loss of $19.38 per ewe joined. It’s certainly a no brainer for us.

@lochsfarming @k_bolto @benfirman11 @kbolto Our composite flock reliably weaned 180% or slightly better. We are nowhere near that yet with shedders. Next year will be a clear test as I will have good numbers of F1 and F2 ewes on their 2nd and 3rd lambing.

@lochsfarming @benfirman11 Yep, this is why as a composite breeder/producer I have abandoned wool......but the cost external to wool seems to be at least 10 loss in reproduction from a similar "wool free" animal. Will have a better handle on this next year.

@KennedyCreek1 @agronomybrady Nudies. I have F1 and F2 ewes, and F3 ewe lambs.

@pasturewise @agronomybrady What is the background of the shedders? Similar in our paddocks at moment with 100% #PollDorset through to 100% #Ultrawhite and mixtures in between

Weighing, mixing and applying fertiliser to trials...not much has changed over the years running trials. If you cut and remove forage to measure growth, you have to put the nutrients back.