No regrets with sheep

While many Australian farmers are turning their backs on the sheep industry in favour of grain, Jeremy Lefroy of Roundhill, near Moora, has done the opposite.

Four years ago, Mr Lefroy, who farms with wife Sue, decided he would focus on their 10,000-strong commercial flock, along with the stud operation that trades under the name of Colvin Merinos.

Mr Lefroy then leased the land suitable for cropping to cousin Kristen Lefroy, and sold all his cropping machinery.

While he has no regrets, the lack of a cropping program has put pressure on Mr Lefroy to increase stocking rates.

After talking to his sheep adviser, Ed Riggall from Narrikup, Mr Lefroy needed to lift his dry sheep equivalent (per winter hectare grazed) from seven to nine to stay viable.

A somewhat unfashionable way of achieving a higher DSE has been to run more dry sheep, typically carrying wethers through to 2½ to three years old, depending on the season.

This offers Mr Lefroy flexibility when seasonal conditions get tough.

"Just about every winter here is punctuated by a month or six-week dry spell," he said.

"With a significant variation in rainfall, that's where dry sheep come in - it gives you the option of selling a big amount very quickly.

"Furthermore, pasture utilisation is improved and it is easier to move dry sheep to different blocks during winter."

Mr Lefroy said, by contrast, if he had only wet ewes, there would be no exit strategy during a dry winter.

Mr Lefroy said this approach was his way of increasing profitability.

"So I am trying to grow my animals - from birth to market is over two years in most cases - as cheaply as I can on green feed," he said.

Conserving dry feed has always been important. Lupins are bought in and barley is grown under contract. Hay is used only as roughage during drought.

Mr Lefroy, who participated in the Lifetime Ewe Management course and still meets fellow farmers in the area, said this provided valuable information and extension dating back to the 1960s, based on lambing at the right time of year and making the most efficient use of feed.

Shearing at Colvin Merinos is in May, ahead of lambing in July and August.

The 10,000 commercial sheep flock typically produces about 230 bales a year of 18 to 19-micron wool.

"We don't need to get any finer," Mr Lefroy said.

The stud business of Colvin Merinos, which turns 50 next year, is now run as a sideline, selling about 60 to 80 rams a year by private selection.

Mr Lefroy said the Pooginook bloodline rams typically have an 18 to 19-micron, soft, long staple, stylish, crimpy wool.

In addition to these features, Mr Lefroy is trying to breed sheep that are strong enough to survive the tough grainbelt conditions.

"Growth rates are important - we don't sacrifice everything else for the wool," he said. "The animals have to be a good size in order to have well-grown lambs."

Mr Lefroy says there is a bright future for the wool industry and continues to see good demand for the luxury fibre.

His main frustrations focus on the lack of young people entering the shearing industry, and he welcomes initiatives to improve training standards.

Another frustration is the dry seasons.

That said, the Moora district enjoyed a reasonably good season this year. Timely rainfall boosted pastures, although it was not enough to fill dams.

An on-farm development that has recently made Mr Lefroy's life easier is the purchase of a Peak Hills Industry Immobiliser.

He said this takes animals of different sizes but is particularly useful with the handling of weaners, reducing labour requirements for drenching.

Mr Lefroy is also dabbling in the running of a small herd of cattle. Sixty cattle from a North-West station are growing on his property ahead of being shipped.

While Mr Lefroy concedes that cropping is more profitable per hectare, he has no regrets about turning his focus to sheep.

"I just got to the stage after more than 30 years farming where I wanted to concentrate on what I enjoyed most," he said.

"It may be about survival of the business and it's certainly not easy, but it is enjoyable and good fun. I'm here for a few years yet."