news 2015

PENDARRA NEWSLETTER

We regularly produce a newsletter for our commercial ram clients which is now available online. Activate one of the links below to view the newsletter.

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Welcome to the news page for

PENDARRA WHITE SUFFOLK STUD and PERFORMANCE plus GENETICS.

We will frequently use this page as a notice board to let you know what is happening within our stud and allow new visitors to our site to see some of the highlights over the past few years.

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Highlights 2014

Farmlink Contract

Recently we were awarded the contract to run the sheep operation at the Temora Agricultural Innovation Centre (TAIC), Temora which is operated by Farmlink. This will enable us to conduct some trial work and provide additional, virtually drought proof, area to finish lambs and use the facilities to continue to develop the Clearview Consultancy business. Apart from the great facilities, the centre has around 200 acres of well established lucerne and phalaris pasture as well as a well maintained water supply, something that cannot always be said for the farm at Ardlethan

We were honored to be given the opportunity and hope to develop a good relationship with the over 300 members of Farmlink and provide some focus on sheep for mixed farming businesses.

Keep watch for ongoing workshops and the results of research work emanating from TAIC.

There are 2 research reports from work already completed at Farmlink; (click to view)

THE INFLUENCE OF CONDITION SCORE ON FERTILITY OF NON-MERINO EWES

EFFECT OF LOOSE LICK SUPPLEMENT ON GROWTH RATE OF LAMBS GRAZING ON LUCERNE

Hon. LIFE MEMBERSHIP OF THE AUSTRALIAN WHITE SUFFOLK ASSOCIATION

An absolute honour to be awarded the 9th Hon. Life Membership of the Australian White Suffolk Association at the recent Adelaide Royal show. Not often do I allow myself to be placed in a situation where I do not know what is coming, but I was definitely "ambushed" on this occasion. After serving on the AWSA Committee for close to 14 years (still there), I still have a sense of giving back to a breed that has provided so much opportunity since I made the decision to initiate the stud in 1996. To be in the company of the 7 foundation members plus Rob Martin who have previously been awarded Life Membership is an honour and one that will take some getting used to.

Thank you to the Association and its members for the award, my involvement at the committee level will cease in 2016 but I will continue to be involved in the industry at various levels and where possible have input into the continued promotion of the White Suffolk breed and what it offers to the lamb industry.

ANOTHER GREAT RESULT AT WEANING

Following on from the 2014 weaning results, we have again achieved some outstanding results from the weaning weights of our 2015 drop lambs. Following a 'faultless' lambing where we had great lamb survival, our lambs weighed an average of close to 50 Kg at weaning with the heaviest ram lamb reaching 81 Kgs @ 15 weeks of age. During a season that started out a little short on feed, our genetics for exceptional 'do-ability' once again came to the rescue with the ewes maintaing good condition throughout lambing and lactation to wean in many cases a total of lambs that exceeded their own body weight, and still be in Condition Score 3 to 3.5 when their lambs were weaned.

The same situation was replicated at TAIC where ewes that were part of a treatment where feed was limited still weaned lambs over 50Kgs liveweight. These ewes are part of a trial to investigate the influence of feed quality and quantity against the growth ASBV and we are looking forward to the results. The lambs from the high feed regime averaged close to 56 Kg at weaning, a fair difference from the ones from the alternative treatment.