TOP SIRE 2025–2026 MERINOS ON FARM OVERALL PRODUCTION IMPROVED THROUGH DATA Consistent data collection has enabled Walcha farmer Mick Lisle to identify the top ewes from his flock and apply more pressure to improve the overall production of his sheep. 1– Mick and Mandy Lisle, along with their two sons, Max and Ollie, farm “Malford”, Walcha, where they run a mixed farming operation over 3300 acres. In the past four years, they have transitioned to an all-Merino flock, aiming to lamb down 2300 ewes each year. The Lisle’s have been recording annual shearing data through the use of eID tags and applying Merino Production (MP) indexes to individual ewes in their flock. Over the past ten years they have measured a lot of data, including body weight, fleece cut and micron, enabling the Lisle’s to apply pressure to improve the overall production of the “Malford” flock. Their breeding objective is to maintain the body weight and micron of their Merino flock, while increasing the fleece weight of the weather resistant, soft, stylish, white wool that they produce. The adult flock at “Malford” produces an average 5.2kg of 16.8-micron wool, but there is room for improvement according to Mick. “I’m happy with where our micron is and now we are aiming to cut more wool.” Lambs are shorn as weaners in December to even them up, before being put out onto crops of either oats or grazing canola, depending on the season. They are visually classed before being shorn again in November with body weights, fleece weights and micron test results recorded against each individual animal. “Once we get all the data back from shearing them, we index them and then cull them on that index.” Mick runs them through an auto-drafter, which simplifies the process on farm. “When we first started it was a lot more effort but now we have the ability to draft on the indexes much faster.” Through this process, Mick “ I’m happy with where our micron is and now we are aiming to cut more wool.” – 30 –
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