Show Team

The countdown to the Royal Easter show has started. We have been training the sheep for the last couple of weeks. The sheep are reasonably well behaved but we won't know until the actual show what they will do.
The show society have provided a window of time to unload sheep and get then settled and that is between 8 and 10 pm on Saturday night April 7th. We will be heading for Sydney on Saturday at about 3:30 pm hopefully unload the sheep and have them settled by 9 pm then head for our accommodation.
There is a lot to do before we can head off to the show. Saturday the sheep have to be washed and dried and as there are six of them so the hairdressing will take a fair chunk of the day. Then there is all the packing, loading the sheep and ourselves to organise. It is going to be a big day so wish us luck.

Here are some pictures of the girls we are taking to the show

Chickens at last



Another project has been finished. The chickens have arrived. We purchased 10 Isa Browns to start with although there is room for about 20 chikens.

 

The coup is off the ground and Kim has made the whole structure as fox proof as possible



The Brown girls look happy already



Searching the new home






The Brown girls should start laying in a couple of weeks.

 

Senior Dorper Course

In August 2011 Eileen, Sarah and I enrolled in Dorper sheep courses being held at Burrawang Station West. Eileen and Sarah were completing the Senior course and I was there for the Junior course. The courses are designed provide a greater understanding of the breed standards, how to select sheep that meet the standard and which sheep need to be culled.

You must complete and pass the Junior course before you can attempt the Senior course. Both courses last for 5 days with an exam on the last day. The exam is in 2 parts written and practical. You must achieve at least 70% pass in the written and 50% of each element of the practical. It was a very full week and full on exam but we all passed. What made the week so enjoyable was the setting, accommodation, staff and the South African Inspector Wikus Cronje. We left vowing to attend a course again if the opportunity was provided.

This year in June-July Graham and Jana Pickles are again sharing their wonderful facility with Dorper enthusiasts by hosting Junior and Senior courses. We are going to Burrawang again to do the senior course. We feel very fortunate to be attending the course in such a beautiful setting.

This is Woolshed 1 were we stayed. I took these pictures with my iPhone hence the quality is not that good



The room I slept in



These pictures came from the internet but they reflrct what Burrawang West Station  is really like.



More information can be found here http://www.burrawangwest.com.au/



Very close the the station are the Utes in the paddock. more information can be found here http://utesinthepaddock.com.au/



Big week

This week saw the next stage of the controlled breeding program. The ewes will start lambing in about 3 weeks to ensure their safety from foxes we have electrified an 8 acre paddock with 4 strands of  electrified wires.

The electrified paddock is right next to the house so we will be able to keep a close eye on the ewes and lambs

 

On Friday my dear Dorper breeders Eileen and Sarah went to Dubbo for the meeting of the Eastern Region Dorper Society. The meeting was very interesting and we were all glad that we attended. A motion was presented at the  meeting to make changes to the registration requirements of  Ewes. The changes if passed, who allow breeders to register progeny with only the sires information. That would be like having a birth certiticate with only the father listed - no thanks. There was some very colourful discussion but the motion was rejected by all who attended the meeting. A really good result for the breed and stud breeders.



Eileen, Me and Sarah



Sunday I thought a little creative work was necessary. So after the sheep training was completed I dressed up these jumpers for Harry and Oliver. Can't wait to see the boys with them on.



I purchased the tops at Big W for less than $5 then appliquéd  these designs on them.



Harry and Oliver. Cameron and Skye's sweet sweet boys

Show Preparations

The Royal Easter Show in Sydney is now only one month away and preparations are in full swing. Jessica is feeding the sheep so they will look their best on the show day. Halter training started on Saturday. To say that was an experience is putting it mildly. The sheep were a bit wild almost turning themselves inside out to get away from the halter. Kim and Jess got frustrated and yelled at each other. I really thought quiet sheep that we could be lead around the yards would not happen. Sunday morning was much better. The sheep still a little frightened but so much quieter than Saturday.

Very weary but not jumping around like the day before



Food always helps



Getting patted so the sheep get used to being handled

Tied up to the fence eating. They need to be acustomed to being tied up and eating out of small buckets

Monday training was a little better again.

This week training will continue and the sheep will need to be shorn. We normally do not shear Dorpers but it is a requirement for the show that all sheep are shorn.

Water Water Water

Most of you have heard that there has been lots of rain in southern Australia. We certainly had plenty of the wet stuff at Claremont with around 200mm or 8 inched falling in 5 days. The poor sheep looked very sad, cold and wet.

This picture was taken about a kilometre from our house on Saturday night. It looks like you could drive over the road but the water was running very fast. Last year a car was swept off the road in this very spot only the fence on the left hand side saved the car. The water rose higher through the night but by 11:30 Sunday the water had receded.  

February 2011



Almost the same view taken in February 2011. You can see the car on the mid left of the picture it was swept off the road luckliy the occupants escaped unharmed.



Sheep Inspection

Each year we arrange for the sheep to be inspected by a South African Dorper Sheep inspector. The sheep are inspected to ensure they meet the correct standard for White Dorper sheep. The sheep are graded with points 1 being the lowest grade that is culled from the flock and 5 the highest grade are the best sheep in the flock. Sheep that are inspected and graded as type 5 or 4 are stud quality animals. These sheep are given an identity ear tag and the inspection notes documented in the society stud book.

5 = Very Good. These are highest quality stud animals
4 = Good. These animals are also stud quality
3 = Average. These sheep are considered good quality commercial sheep.
2 = Below average. These sheep are considered average commercial sheep
1 = Cull. These sheep have a significant fault or faults and would not be used for breeding.

The inspectors also give valuable advice on the purchase of rams and joining strategies. We have used this advice to cull sheep unsuitable to our flock and purchase the best rams that we can afford.
This inspection was the third time that Keonie Kotze has inspected our flock. We spent 2 days listening to his guidance about joining, ram selection and inspecting sheep.  We were thrilled with the results. Over 50 type 4 and 5 ewes. 7 type 4 and 5 rams. Those results from our small flock of 250 sheep are a really good achievement, with over 70% of our flock being studded already. The results demonstrate the value of using Dorper Sheep inspectors to improve the flock. Inspections are also valuable for buyers as they know the sheep meet the correct standard when they are purchased.
Keonie inspections were finalised on Saturday so on Sunday Kim, Jess and I travelled to Byblos White Dorper stud http://www.bybloswhitedorper.com/ and met up with good friends Eileen and Martin http://www.crawlersgullydorpers.com/ Tony and Peter. Tony Byblos owner put on a great BBQ to farewell Keonie until we see him again.



Koenie and Kim at Byblos White Dorpers receiving a plaque that Kim Carved for him.

Eileen, Tony and Keonie at the BBQ



 

 

Martin in stylish glasses checking messages on his phone.




Kim and Tony discussing strategy