Woodstock prime lambs: How Robert Sheridan commands top dollar in tough market

Robert and Helen Sheridan turn off 8000 chart-topping lambs a year, returning strong prices even in a falling market. See how they do it.

Consistency and presentation go hand in glove for specialist prime lamb producer Robert Sheridan.

Robert and his wife, Helen, farm at Junee, east of Wagga Wagga, in southern NSW and have earned a solid reputation for market dominance from their 8000 composite and first-cross ewes that turn out chart-topping sucker and export lambs week in, week out.

The secret to success, Robert says, is getting the basics of sheep farming right, from the management of stock and genetics to feeding and husbandry.

And despite the recent depressed lamb market, with producer returns well down on 12 months ago, Robert says there is still enough of a margin to make a tidy profit.

“This time last year, we were probably getting $100 (a head) more,” said Robert, who has invested a lifetime into sourcing the right genetics and mixing husbandry, agronomy and market nous to finetune his formula.

“The current market is disappointing. Before this, it was extremely good, though, so we learn to take the good with the bad.

“We don’t swap and change what we do; we just consistently try and do it better.

“I have a passion for lambs. At the end of the day, you can be proud of what you have done for a day’s work.”

Robert has been farming since 1964 but, up until 1978, was focused more on cropping.

He now runs 8000 composite and first-cross ewes across his 2300 hectares, turning off 8000 lambs a year, as well as growing wheat, barley, canola and hay in a 50:50 split.

Prime lambs on Robert Sheridan's property at Junee in southern NSW. Picture: Nikki Reynolds

IDEAL ENVIRONMENT

The Sheridans’ property features undulating country with creek flats, a mix of sandy soil, red loam and undulating hills, which means it’s an ideal environment for winter crops and lambs.

Crops are used to supplement the lamb operation. However, whether crops are retained on farm or delivered to the silo for marketing is determined by market conditions at the time.

Junee receives about 530mm of rain a year, and the Sheridan farm has already recorded 350mm of rain since the start of January. Despite what appears to be an abundance of pasture, Robert says the feed quality could be better.

The wetter-than-average season has brought a high worm burden which has resulted in more drenching and regular rotation of paddocks.

While the Sheridans have traditionally joined first-cross ewes to a Poll Dorset ram to provide second-cross market-ready progeny, the move 18 years ago to introduce composite genetics into the mix has paid handsome dividends while also helping with lambing percentages and milking rates.

The Sheridans run 5000 composite breeding ewes and 3000 Border Leicester-Merino first cross ewes. The target market for suckers is to produce a carcass of 30kg-plus at 10 months of age.

Robert sources about 300 Merino ewes a year as his first-cross mothers. Last year they were trucked over from South Australia. Ideally, Border Leicester rams have been sired by a twin.

Ewes from this cross that are not culled are joined to a Meat Plus composite ram, with their ewe progeny joined to a Poll Dorset ram.

Robert sources his Poll Dorset genetics from Garry Armstrong’s Deepdene stud at Narrandera.

Poll Dorset lambs out of composite ewes at Robert Sheridan’s property at Junee in southern NSW. Picture: Nikki Reynolds

EWE BET

Sheep are joined over summer ahead of a June lambing, with the aim to beat the coldest part of winter. Ewes are shorn in March or April, prior to lambing, while crutching takes place in spring.

“It is not pleasant shearing crossbred ewes at the moment, with the dismal prices for wool,” Robert said. “We chase dollars per head; we want to get as much money as possible out of each lamb.”

Survivability and high lambing percentage are integral to the profitability of the business. Lamb markings average 180 per cent, however, have been as high as 190 per cent within the composite ewe flock.

Survivability ranks at about 99 per cent.

“I am proud of the lambing percentages and survival rates,” said Robert, adding that he keeps lambing ewes away from creeks and waterways because these paddocks have fewer foxes and, over the past 40 years, has established large-scale shelter belts across the property.

The mothering ability of composite ewes has also impressed the Sheridans and now forms part of the selection criteria. To maximise profits, Robert strives for twins – not triplets because they are often stragglers and poorer performers.

About 80 per cent of ewes are retained for breeding. Turning off sucker lambs makes good economic sense for the Sheridans program, with lambs starting to hit the market in August.

“The lambs not sold as suckers are kept, shorn, and then grown out to meet the export specifications,” Robert said.

In drier years, the Sheridans will switch to using a feedlot to finish lambs to export weights.

Poll Dorset lambs out of composite ewes at Robert Sheridan's property at Junee in southern NSW. Picture: Nikki Reynolds

TARGET MARKET

Presentation and meeting market specifications are the two standout factors that allow the Sheridan lambs to draw the attention of buyers.

Robert said he prided himself on the presentation of his stock with Wagga Wagga Livestock Marketing Centre, a crucial selling point. Almost 80 per cent of the Sheridans’ lambs are sold at Wagga Wagga, with Robert booking lots into almost 30 of the selling centre’s 50 sales a year.

While trading conditions have recently been challenging, Sheridan lambs, weighing an estimated 32kg carcass weight, topped last Thursday’s Wagga Wagga market at $225.

Robert said he was pleased with the price in a falling market, having initially hoped they would make at least $200. In the past, the lambs have commanded as much as $350 at Wagga Wagga.

Not content with having all their eggs in one basket, the Sheridans also sell over-the-hooks sales, including to JBS at Cobram or Brooklyn. However, Robert said during the rising lamb market, up until only recently, it had been logical to use the saleyards to garner as much competition as possible from buyers.

Over the hooks sales, Robert said, did help spread risk and provided a price point before the stock leave the farm gate.

Last week, in addition to selling lambs at Wagga Wagga, the Sheridans offloaded a consignment of 200 lambs over the hooks. Robert said he was pleased that all lambs met market specifications with just pasture feeding and no supplementary grain.

Export lambs consistently achieve a dressing percentage of 51, but Robert said he would like to receive more feedback in regard to things such as fat coverage.

He said feedback to date had shown that mixing composites with the terminal genetics of a Poll Dorset ram has paid dividends in market acceptance.