Pasture R&D including plant evaluation, breeding, endophyte, project development and managment. Run a small sheep flock.
Joined May 2015
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Oaten hay nearing time to cut for hay. Florets are from top middle and bottom of the infloresence. Milky at the top still, so a few more days yet. Of course....the ongoing wet weather might have a huge say in what happens now.. sigh.
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Second year performance of Italian ryegrass.... one of the keys is a cultivars ability to carry tillers/plants through the first summer. Performance of this second year trial tells the story.
And this is the aim.... shifting from a highly productive wooly composite, to a shedding composite has been a challenge, but good reproduction seems to be returning and the F3 and F4s are mostly shedding...
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Oats near to cutting for hay...when it stops raining, high quality leafy grass hay also to be cut soon, and ewes + lambs loving the feed. Can hear stuff growing on a day like today.
Trials charging along after 50mm of rain last weekend. This would be one of the largest non-seed company cultivar evaluation sites in southern Vic with ~800 plots and 460 rows being regularly assessed. Visitors always welcome by appointment.
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Past marking results for my My composite shedding types have been a bit low. Very happy this year to see it at 100% for ewe weaners, 169% for maiden (2yr old, 1st lamb) ewes. Plus 3-4 yr old ewes I sold to a neighbour in May (cash flow needs) hit 200% marked this year. 👍
Next clover nursery going in after initial screening was completed in the greenhouse. Testing my hammies out.
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Another trial being harvested on a glorious but perhaps concerningly very warm early spring day...
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A great field day yesterday with @AuNutrien - great speakers with practical advice and plenty to see in the field. Thanks to everyone that helped make it a success.
All set for a few days of field days. Looking forward to hosting a day with a range of clients including @AuNutrien later this week.
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Trials with new breeding lines are coming along well. Excellent August conditions followed a bit of a slow start.. Bring on September field days! @AuNutrien
Twins from 1yr old ewe (lamb)....very pleased with this result. F3 ewe mated to a shedding ram.
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#lambing2026 going ok. Glorious day in SW Vic. Lambs are not huge but then these are maiden ewes. Hope everyone else's lambing is going well.
Lambing 2026 about to begin. Weather over Sunday-Monday will be a challenge but these girls should have no problems pulling through that. Stocked at 14 ewes/ha in small pdks with 2500kg+DM/ha of tetraploid perennial ryegrass...
An innovation I am working on......felt fencing...
Sigh, the transition to shedding sheep presents some challenges...
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Weighing out fertiliser for forage cereal trials just harvested. Forecast rain in the coming few days will be welcome!
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It's a bit stressed, but gee the phalaris has hung on well. Curiously, every night my stocking rate lifts by 30-40% but the roos clearly preference everything else before phalaris....
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Well, that point has been reached. Nil autumn break means no late winter feed for lambing so these girls will have to go. 21/22/23 drop Composite x Nudie ewes mated to Nudie rams. Great way to kick-start entry into shedding sheep. Lambing ~10th August. DM or call if interested.
