DORPER’S reputation for low-cost, high-return production is attracting corporate investment into the lamb industry, with leading diversified agricultural fund manager, AAM, wasting no time in positioning itself within the sector.
The Australian-owned strategic investment portfolio has further cemented its foothold in the Dorper industry after securing Burrawang West Station, a 4,673ha prominent sheep property 30km east of Condobolin in central NSW, that was bought alongside the property’s Burrawang Dorper and White Dorper Stud through its Australian Diversified Agriculture Fund (ADAF) in July 2022.
The station and seedstock business strengthens AAM’s existing Dorper assets, which include the iconic Terrick Terrick Station at Blackall in Queensland that was purchased in 2020 and after completing about 230km of exclusion fencing, reintroduced a flock of 50,000 Dorper ewes – a significant milestone for the station as it was the first time sheep had run on the historic property for about 20 years.
Nathan Morris, AAM Executive Director of Pastoral Operations, described Dorpers as “a powerhouse for large-scale efficient production”, which made the breed an appealing investment.
“The Dorper breed is what attracted us, and is keeping us, confident in the sheep industry,” Mr Morris said.
“Dorper’s high reproductive rates, their early maturing, the fact they are polyoestrous, so they can breed all year long, terrific carcase attributes, and their ability to thrive in a variety of conditions make them the most desirable breed for us.”
Mr Morris said Dorpers combatted one of agriculture’s largest challenges of attracting skilled labour to remote areas, given the low-maintenance nature of the breed.
“They are low-cost because they have that low labour requirement in terms of management, we run a lot of our sheep organically, so you are not drenching and back lining, and there is no need to shear or crutch,” he said.
“For our business, we are running large volumes of sheep in remote and isolated areas, where there have traditionally always been problems of attracting people to the bush. This breed is allowing us to maintain those large numbers while also running them cost-effectively.”
The commercial flock at Terrick Terrick Station was what initially propelled AAM to pursue a seedstock operation, as Mr Morris said they wanted to be the “masters of their own destiny” in terms of controlling their genetic influence.
“We started to seek out a major player within the Dorper stud industry, who had large volumes of seedstock animals, runs on the board in terms of results, and a reputation for excellence. We were drawn to the stud’s focus on carcase traits, yield and fertility, which are key focus points for our business.”
Burrawang West Station
Nestled within the productive Lachlan River catchment area, Burrawang West Station is a landmark holding that was once part of ‘Big Burrawang’, one of NSW’s largest sheep properties pioneered by Thomas Edols in the 1870s.
The property’s longstanding connection with sheep production is no surprise, as Mr Morris described the picturesque paddocks as being perfect for sheep breeding, given the Goobang, Bumbuggan and Yarrabandai creek systems weave their way through the heavy creek flats and loam soils.
“The creek areas are beautiful for grazing livestock, as they have a lot of natural shade and shelter and grow native high-quality pastures.”
Today, there are six fulltime staff members overseeing operations across Burrawang West Station, which includes the stud enterprise as well as farming the property’s 1,500ha of dual-purpose fodder crops, that are irrigated through four centre pivots.
Burrawang West Station homes about 6,500 sheep, and the property focuses solely on stud production.
While AAM is enacting infrastructure upgrades to the property, with additional laneways, paddocks and high-flow watering systems being laid out, Mr Morris said a huge focus was being placed on the property’s genetic program.
Data driving genetics
As AAM has skin in the game in terms of the commercial sector, Burrawang Dorper and White Dorper Stud aims to provide high-performing and objectively tested genetics.
While the stud is ramping up its Embryo Transfer (ET) program, Mr Morris stressed the breeding strategy was being underwritten by a philosophy of only selecting “proven” genetics.
“We ensure all our maidens are raised naturally and have reared a lamb; therefore, they are proven under real-world scenarios. Our ET program focuses on magnifying and fast-tracking selective ewe genetics and we feel it is vital we are giving the animals the chance to prove themselves,” he said.
“The collection and analysis of data to improve our business is always at the forefront of our operations, and we are eager to continue to test genetics within our commercial business so we can capture insights across the complete supply chain.
“Therefore, we have been taking semen out of select top-performing Burrawang sires, to complete a large-scale AI program on our 50,000 head at Terrick Terrick.
“This has resulted in vigorous genetic advancement in that flock. We are in such a fortunate position to do that, as there are no commercial producers that would be able to access rams that have a value of $40,000 to $60,000 for their commercial flock.”
The Terrick Terrick flock operates on an eight-month lambing cycle, with progeny typically aged around four to six months before being shifted south to AAM’s productive properties near Forbes and Tamworth for finishing.
These lambs achieve a live weight of 55kg to 60kg and a dressed weight of 26kg to 30kg upon sale to AAM’s processing partners, who service domestic and international markets.
As data underwrites the business, Mr Morris said AAM was eager to collaborate with leading researchers to further capture information and insights on Dorper performance.
“At the moment, we are working with the University of Adelaide to run trials focused on fertility within shedding breeds. Additionally, we are working with the University of New England on a project examining eating quality and fat content of Dorpers,” he said.
Looking ahead, Mr Morris said AAM planned to further develop the capacity of the Burrawang Dorper Stud.
“Our goal is to increase our numbers to have 5,000 stud ewes, however, we are not prioritising growth over quality. We want 5,000 of the best stud ewes,” he said.
“Our ambition at Burrawang will always be to breed a ram for everyone, and you can see that through our sale results. We have arguably some of the best genetics in Australia and sell sires valued at $60,000, while also providing numerous commercial rams selling for $1,500 to $6,000 for the producers who are seeking to increase their volume.
“Although Dorpers are a relatively new breed to Australia, they are growing their reputation for quality, and the commercial sector is poised to reap the benefits of the breed in its pure form.”
Written by Andrea MacCormick
