Charles Curran Principal AC, LL.B, FCPA.	Stuart Hodgson Stud Classer OAM	Charlie Merriman Principal & Co-Manager	Jono Merriman Principal & Co-Manager

New Zealand Advisor - Stuart Hodgson

Stud Representatives - Charlie Merriman, Jono Merriman, Stuart Hodgson

Koonwarra Objectives

The management objectives for the Koonwarra Stud are to continue to breed the Koonwarra type, which was developed under the guidance of Mr John Williams. The renowned “Koonwarra type” of sheep has evolved into one that offers a tremendous genetic balance of quality fine-medium wools on a great carcass, with its well known traits such as their easy care, doing ability, their high fertility and lamb survival rate. We believe Koonwarra stud sheep have a large frame, good spring of ribs, length of body and with nourished white wool that has good staple length, a defined crimp and great fleece weights. Koonwarra Stud sheep have ability to be used in vastly difference climate areas of Australia.

Koonwarra Merino Stud Partnership, between the Curran and Merriman families, remain committed to the ongoing success of the Koonwarra Merino Stud. To ensure we continue to supply top genetics and provide a high level of client service. This management team, including Stuart Hodgson, intend to:-

• Uphold and improve the quality of the Koonwarra Stud sheep

• Conduct annual on property ram and ewe sales.

• Annual Ram Sale – last Wednesday in September

• Assist and advise clients on ram selection, when requested

• Continue our client visit program, when invited

• Maintain current vaccination programs

• Participate in shows and sales in NSW each year. Such as:
  - Great Southern Supreme Merino (GSSM) Show & Sale & Field Day in January.
  - Canberra Show in February
  - Boorowa Show in March
  - Sydney Show at Easter/April
  - South West Slopes Merino Field Day at Greenethorpe via Young on 1st Thursday in September
  - Dubbo National Show & Sale in August.

Breeding Objectives

Koonwarra Merino Stud will continue along proven breeding plans, while at the same time exploring new avenues to continually improve our product – the rams we provide to our clients. In turn, with make our clients sheep more profitable. In short, Koonwarra is only as successful as its clients.

Koonwarra sheep have typically been a very versatile and productive sheep, which cater to the fine/medium wool markets. The emphasis has always been on frame and fleece production, with an average micron of around 20, this enables clients to control wool quality, while maintaining fleece production.

Koonwarra welcomes comparison of its results with those of other studs. For this reason, Koonwarra participates in major shows, to enable its clients to assess results in the showing. Comparison of ram performance should involve wool testing by a reputable independent testing organisation. Comparison should cover the key issues of fleece weight, micron, fineness, fertility and carcass weight, all of which are features offered on a consistent basis by Koonwarra rams. Also comparison should be over at least three generations, so that results are not distorted by the hybrid vigour effect on a first cross generation.

Each year Koonwarra carries out an extensive laparoscopic AI program, using proven Koonwarra sires as well as outside semen from specially selected sires, that Charlie, Jono and Stuart have given careful consideration of time.

In 2006 we used semen from 3 leading Koonwarra sires, KWA 1.9, 7.78 and 7.49 and used semen from Bungulla Merino Stud, their sire 3-90, which we inspected at the Dubbo Show and Sale in 2005, and all felt this Bungulla sire would go well with our Koonwarra genetics. Bungulla 3-90 is a large fine-medium wool ram, with great staple length and definition of fleece.

Koonwarra had already made a breeding choice to develop a plainer skin type merino to provide a freer fleece type while maintaining the quality wool already there. Through these discussions with Stuart we have been very mindful not to lose the staple structure and tip type of the Koonwarra sheep, as a major profit driver.

The summer rains helped the stud lambing in 2008 with the AI program achieving around 105% and the single joinings at 94%, at lamb marking time. This is a true reflection of the fertility ability of the Koonwarra ewes, as they did not receive any supplementary feeding and due to the drought were not running on well developed pasture. Having these larger numbers of progeny gives more opportunity to push harder on our selection criteria for the stud, especially in the ewe drop.

For the 2008 lambing season we put a lot of thought into our breeding program. We moved the Koonwarra stud joining time forward a month year we lambed in May/June. We have used the Koonwarra show ram from last season, KWA 5.244 "Ruby" from the Gem family, as one of our sires.

We used "Ruby" in the AI program and with paddock joinings, and we feel he is destined to have a good impact on the Koonwarra stud, especially after seeing his first crop of lambs. He is a large framed ram with a clearly defined crimp, bright white wool testing 20.8 on full shed feed, very square behind in his stance, with big spring of rib. He has a tremendous outlook with a strong head and horn set that so epitomises the Koonwarra blood sires. Another new sire we have used in the 2008 drop is Nerstane 4636 in the AI program

The 2009 season has been another dry year for the Koonwarra stud sheep. It was very dry for the early part of the year and a “green drought” through the winter. Through all this the Koonwarra stud ewes have impressed us with how well they have reared their lambs and grown their wool. They have shown us their ability, year in and year out, in these dry times that they are able to function and do the “basics” at a high level. This has reinforced our respect for their genetic ability to do well in tough conditions.

This doing ability shows up in the 2009 sale rams who have been grain fed during the early part of the year and then seasoned on low growth pasture for June, July and August. The sale rams continued to grow through these testing times and increase body weight and fat score. Both Jono and I believe the wool quality has improved further and the sale team will be more even than previous years. Clients can look forward to young rams who are very well grown with a lot of wool style.

Koonwarra sire “Ruby” 6.244 will have his first drop progeny in the sale as will rams by Nerstane 4636 and the Koonwarra standard sires like Uniform and BG family groups who consistently produce quality merino sheep.

The Koonwarra are tested every year for fleece traits and subjectively assessed for body type and structure. Their figures give us a base to benchmark against and each year we use several two tooth sires to assess their progeny against the breeding goals we have set for the stud merino group.

In 2009 the sale rams there will be progeny from young sires from the Black Tag BU family, a son of KWA 1.9 and a Gem family ram. For the 2009 lambing we have used young sires from the Uniform and Nerstane progeny and they will be offered for sale at the 2010 GSS M sale on 25th January.

By trialling the young sires and benchmarking their genetic traits against the AI progeny and those of the standard KWA sire group, we will develop selection criteria to identify superior sires for
the Stud.

These same tests are carried out on the stud ewe portion, to back up our assessments and to use in our ewe selections. The basic figures for 2007 ewe drop’s last shearing in February 2009 came back at 7.54 kgs per head with an average of 18.6 microns in what was a dry 12 months but did not incorporate too much hand feeding.

We would hope to improve on the fleece weight average in better seasons and probably a rise in micron also, but with benchmarking results we can control some these measurements.

2011 INFORMATION

Koonwarra Merino Stud throughout its long history (established in 1947 and registered as Koonwarra in 1052) has always concentrated on the profitable components of the merino sheep. Under the ownership of the Curran and Merriman families nothing has changed.

Merino sheep are now one of the most profitable enterprises for rural land use and Koonwarra with its large framed merino with a white bright fleece is in a very good position to take advantage of the tremendous wool and meat prices.

After the stud sheep being here at Little Range now for over 5 years we are seeing genetic improvement especially in the ewe portion becoming very even in their wool and body type. This allows Stuart, Jono and I to select our sires to continue the wool style and the ability to hold white bright fleece type, even during the recent very high rainfall patterns of the past 12 months or so. The incidence of fleece damage in our Koonwarra sheep was very minimal.

With this confidence in the Koonwarra merino type we purchased a new sire (in partnership) from the Winyar Stud, this new sire’s dam side is from a Koonwarra blood family. This sire will be used in an AI program and also in physical use in the 2011-2012 joining. He will definitely give the Stud more early maturing growth, larger frame with higher body weights along with his soft white bright fleece and he has wool all the way down his legs and underline. We are looking forward to his progeny as we believe they will enhance the studs quality. We will as usual be using outside sires through the on going AI programs, plus our own Koonwarra sires, such as Ruby 6.224 from the KWA Gem family and our new sire & show ram from our AI program using a Roseville Park sire, this ram will be shown at Dubbo 2011 in August and at the GSSM in January 2012 at the Canberra Showground.

Koonwarra young ram to be shown at Dubbo 2011 and GSSM 2012

2010 Information

The 2008 drop stud ewes were shorn in April this year and their fleece results came back at 19.4 micron and fleece weight average of 7.39 kilo of stylish medium, fine/medium wool.

We were very pleased at the micron control on such a big season along with the very good fleece weight – it was not that long ago the merino wethers in the Orange NS W wether trial was won in the medium wool section by a group with an average of 20.6 microns and 8.2 kilo cut. Benchmarking the ewe figures against the Orange Wether Trial results gives us confidence that we are heading on the correct genetic path for merino profitability.

Stuart Hodgson, the classer for Koonwarra Stud and advisor, has noted in his comments below of the tremendous prices for the meat/mutton portion of the merino enterprise. We continually use sires that will enhance the body weight, maintain correct structure and the ability to be productive in low and high rainfall years, as well as having good stable genetic fleece qualities to attain top prices.

In such a good season as this year, with around 500mms of rain since Christmas 2009 to July 2010, wool damage from the summer rains has been very low in the Koonwarra merino sheep here at Little Range. The ability of these Koonwarra fleece qualities has been developed over many years of genetic improvement from the studs time at, first, Crookwell, then Canowindra and now at Boorowa where the lack of fleece damage and fly strike has contributed to our ease of management.

We welcome long term and new clients to Koonwarra Stud at Little Range, Boorowa to come, visit and inspect these well known Koonwarra sheep, and inspect the 2009 drop rams. They are quite an impressive group.

We encourage visitors and clients to contact Charlie & Jono, and call in, at Little Range, Boorowa, NSW for an inspection of the Koonwarra Stud sheep.
Ph/Fax 02 6385 3396 or email merino@koonwarrastud.com.au

Jono Merriman holding a new Koonwarra bred sire, KWA 5.244 "Ruby"

Health Report

Koonwarra Merino Stud is Accredited Brucellosis Free No. CW98/23 and OJD Approved Vaccinates.  Koonwarra Merino Stud has been vaccinating with Gudair since 2002, the 2011 drop lambs that have been vaccinated, and are from ewes that were also vaccinated as lambs. Therefore this Stud has been vaccinating its lambs for 10 years and therefore every sheep offered is at least a second or third generation Approved Vaccinated, with 4 credit points.  Koonwarra Merino Stud is Accredited Brucellosis Free and is Vendor’s Declaration Ovine Footrot Free.

Koonwarra takes all precautions to ensure it remains minimal risk to OJD, with its annual vaccination program with Gudair for all its lambs and using semen for its AI programs. At no stage has Koonwarra Merino Stud had any losses that could be attributed to OJD.

The still restrictive rules of the OJD management program have imposed great difficulty on Koonwarra's ability to trade. However we are confident that the industry leaders will demand an appropriate response to this issue and allow free trade to approved vaccinated sheep within the industry, in the near future.

Koonwarra Annual Program