'Any lamb can be turned into money'

Badgingarra sheep producer Dennis Martin aims to get as many lambs on the ground as possible.

"The more lambs you get, the more you have to sell," he said.

It's a key priority for every sheep producer but Mr Martin also aims for his ewes to have no more than two lambs at a time.

"A ewe only has two teats, so twins is a maximum," he said.

Last year, Mr Martin recorded 105 per cent marking on his Merinos, including the maiden lines, and 98 per cent lambs marked on the British breeds, including maidens.

This achievement meant he could join the 100%+ Club.

The club is part of the More Sheep initiative, a partnership between the Sheep Industry Leadership Council and the Department of Agriculture and Food that recognises sheep producers helping to rebuild the State's flock numbers.

According to More Sheep, average marking percentages for Merino flocks across the State are around 80 per cent.

Dennis aims for 100 to 120 per cent lambing for Merinos and believes the 100%+ Club could help to entice younger people back into agriculture, especially sheep production.

This year, despite lower after-summer rain destroying the quality of feed on offer, Mr Martin's lambing percentage was 109 per cent for Merinos and 94 per cent for British breeds.

He believes parasite control, a focus on wrinkle reduction and using lick feeders have had the greatest influence on his marking rate.

Each year, around 5000 sheep are mated on two properties 30km apart. Sixty per cent are joined to Merinos on a property surrounded by cattle, with the remainder run and mated to Dorset and White Suffolk rams on the home farm.

Mr Martin uses rams from Dandaragan stud Challara and Three Springs stud Hill Padua, and focuses on visual evaluation.

Merino selection is based on carcase conformation and wool quality, while Mr Martin looks at eye muscle depth and depth of body when assessing Dorsets.

To help improve marking percentage, Mr Martin undertakes a visual draft and sheep that do not pass assessment are placed into a paddock on their own.

Lick feeders are used to minimise ewe disturbance and when selecting rams, smooth-skinned rams are chosen in a bid to reduce wrinkle.

"I don't have rams on the property for seven to eight months of the year and this means there is no confusion for the ewes," he said.

Ahead of mating the Merinos on the western property, Mr Martin puts one ram in each mob to act as a teaser and get ewes cycling, after which he introduces more rams 10 days later.

"We lamb over a six-week period and the rams can stay in for eight to ten weeks. I work on the theory that any lamb can be turned into money," he said.

At marking, Mr Martin conducts a dry draft.

"Anything overly dry is removed and sold and if there is no lamb, then the ewe is gone," he said.

Paddock selection is also important, with the more undulating paddocks used for shelter at lambing.

Mob sizes are kept at around 250 to 300 head each. The first to lamb down are the British breeds at the start of May. Merinos start lambing from June 10, in line with feed availability.

Mr Martin, who is a member of the West Midlands Group, is happy with the performance of his sheep enterprise, but he is also keen to look at pregnancy scanning in the future to manage single and twin-baring ewes differently.

Increasing the amount of country with perennials is also on his wish list.

"I have a few plots of perennials and this year they have done well," he said.

Fast facts *

WHO * Dennis and Robyn Martin, Toee-Downs

WHERE * Badgingarra

WHAT * Mixed farming including sheep, cattle and crops

MARKING *

·2013 - 109 per cent on Merinos and 94 per cent on British breeds.

·2012 - 105 per cent on Merinos and 98 per cent on British breeds.