![About 2000 Corriedale cross lambs are introduced to the Gee family's flock annually to sped up the influence of the dual purpose sheep. About 2000 Corriedale cross lambs are introduced to the Gee family's flock annually to sped up the influence of the dual purpose sheep.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/9kyzP9Zutm5XFVsqvLWUBX/366e7531-14bc-4987-99a4-e45ea8ddeac9.JPG/r0_0_788_959_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
AFFIRMATION prime lamb producer Donald Gee made the right decision to cross his composite ewe flock with Corriedales came from an unlikely source - his wool cheque.
Subscribe now for unlimited access to all our agricultural news
across the nation
or signup to continue reading
In an effort to improve the fleece quality of the Gee family’s 6000 head composite breeding flock, which averaged 30 micron in 2012, Corriedale rams were introduced across maiden ewes four years ago.
Mr Gee, along with his father Harvey, run 8000 composite ewes and 275 Angus cows across 1300 hectares at Exton House, Westbury, Tasmania, which includes 250ha of fenced pivot circle irrigated land.
Adamant he isn’t a woolgrower but a protein producer, Mr Gee received confirmation the introduction of Corriedales was a lucrative move when he received a $100,000 increase to his wool cheque on 2014 results.
The difficulty of sourcing first cross ewes meant they retained heavy, third and fourth cross breeders, but as a consequence their wool deteriorated substantially.
“We needed to get that edge back in our wool because it was getting less valuable each year,” Mr Gee said.
The dramatic seasons, including freezing temperatures in winter and 800 millimetres average rain annually, means they needed a breed which would complement their fast paced operation.
Blackwood Performance Corriedales rams are crossed with young ewes in order to breed the Corriedale into the replacement mob, which enables large framed, older ewes to be surplus for sale.
About 2000 ewe lambs, out of a composite ewe joined with a Corriedale sire, are introduced to the flock annually which Mr Gee said had sped up the influence of the dual purpose sheep.
![Donald Gee, Exton House, Westbury, Tasmania, introduced Corriedales to his composite flock which has improved the fleece quality within four years. Donald Gee, Exton House, Westbury, Tasmania, introduced Corriedales to his composite flock which has improved the fleece quality within four years.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/9kyzP9Zutm5XFVsqvLWUBX/689ee5bc-1930-442f-a98e-2beaa051b350.jpg/r0_257_2291_3046_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The influence in four years has reduced the flocks micron by 5m to average 25.5m and increased av fleece cut per head by 1.5 kilograms, while retaining lambs’ dress carcase weight av of 49pc.
Grown ewes are joined on April 1, to lamb August 25, while maiden ewes are supplement grain fed to 40 kilograms at their nine month-old joining on May 1.
Lambs are weaned in December with 10pc sold by Christmas, mainly to the Middle East.
The flock runs between 14 dry sheep equivalent per hectare, and peaks at 21DSE/ha in spring, made possible because of the irrigated brassica crops which turns off about 900kg of dressed lamb per hectare.
The Gees expect to have 9500 lambs on the ground by August 25, which are sold by May as eight month-olds, weighing 38kg liveweight, following 30 days of finishing on a brassica crop.
“We have managed to maintain our core business, which is red meat production, but we’ve also been able to lift our wool clip,” he said.