Karmala Merino and Working Kelpie Studs: Merinos

The stud was established by my grandfather, Alex McIntyre, in 1932 at Skipton in the Western District of Victoria. The aim remains the same: to breed big, uncomplicated, productive sheep with high quality fine wool.

A small AI programme is undertaken each year to maintain the high quality ewe base. The use of Rockbank(Vic.) superfine rams of Merryville bloodlines has reduced micron to about 17 microns over the last 3 years. No doubt the climate and rainfall contributed as well. Over the previous 3 years the average was 18.1 mic.

An extremely dry summer in 2006-7 forced a reduction in ewe numbers, but also a good opportunity to cull any ewe who was even slightly off type.

The Merino industry in Australia is but a shadow of its former self. Sheep numbers are greatly reduced, the two main reasons being poor wool prices over a long period of time, and drought.
China now dominates the market so this unlikely to change; low prices are their only interest, and the demolition job they’re doing on the wool industry does not concern them. China will just source other fibres without regret. Now a third ‘whammy’ is upcoming, when the supposed ban on mulesing comes into effect in 2010. No viable alternative has been, or is likely to be, found, and many more wool growers are leaving the industry in anticipation of mobs of flyblown sheep.

It is quite beyond my understanding that anyone should criticize AWI for acknowledging the need to continue mulesing until a suitable alternative is found. So long as the RSPCA is realistic enough to support them, why should growers shoot themselves in their collective feet by continual carping criticism that gives the rural press more material to keep mulesing in the headlines. There will be so little wool available shortly that whether the sheep have been mulesed or not will fade into the background.

There’s a lot of spin experts out there who are selling rams as ‘bare breeched’. Some have had tail snips, hot knife mulesing, etc. so buyer beware. Eventually genetically brae bums will breed on consistently, but this is a way off yet. In any case, even XB sheep without wrinkles get flyblown, and when we ran a Border Leicester stud I used to tail strip them to keep them clean.

It seems farcical that we are bowing to the wishes of an organisation, PETA, that has a reputation for uninformed radical behaviour. With so much human suffering in this world, surely there are better causes for well doers than this.

We are at present facing a tough future with the added threat of climate change. Sheep are environmentally friendly compared with cropping and use minimal water; rice and cotton are not crops for this country. Little damage was done to our river systems when wool growing was the big player years ago.
I think the following lines of doggerel that I penned sum it all up!

AI ewes, 2007, after a tough winter. They had 3 hours full grazing each day and were penned each night in a yard hot wired for dingoes.

Well mulesed ewes with lambs pictured about 1-2 weeks after mulesing. It can be seen from their 'sappy' condition that they haven't suffered a setback.

The State Sheep Show at Goondiwindi proved a bonanza for Karmala, Harry and Liz, the Queensland Pair from 2009 are now Queensland Ram and Ewe for 2010, and Harry was Grand Champion Ram! We will be heading down to Dubbo in August for the National Ram Comp.

A young ram I bred won Supreme at Tenterfield, Feb 2010, which was a great thrill. A recent wool test came back at 17.9 mic with no fibre over 26mic. He’s August shorn and was competing against full wools from the NSW New England studs, including Nerstane! My team of four won 11 broad ribbons and cleaned up most of the August shorn classes, the young ewe beating my old Pair ewe from last year. The dry summer has suited the sheep and the lambs have done really well. These are by a young ram bred here, and are the most even drop I can remember. The show team and this sire are all by old NB out of Nerstane 0043 ewes.
2009 was a good year for Karmala Merinos. I showed only 2 sheep, a ram and a ewe who are 3/4 siblings. They are both by old N.B. from ewes by Nerstane 43, one of the most influential AI sires in Australia. He was used with this purpose in mind, ie to breed some ewes that would suit NB, as he was leaving too much skin over Karmala ewes. I felt he had a lot of good points, and was determined to make use of him, so the success of the plan is very satisfying.
These two sheep won the Queensland Pair at Longreach State Sheep Show, and went on to be runners up to One Oak in the National Pairs at Bendigo. The ewe was Queensland Ewe of the year and the ram Reserve Grand Champ. of the show.
They also did well when shown at Bendigo. Harry won the 2 tooth Fine wool class and Liz was Res. G.C. Fine Wool Ewe, being beaten by the eventual G.C. Ewe of the show. She should have been entered in the superfine classes but the AWTA test results hadn’t been forwarded and were unavailable at classification.

“Lizzie” follows the tradition set by “Queenie” (by RockBank Junior Blue). She was Queensland Ewe of the Year at Roma in May 2003 and went on to be Champion Fine Wool Ewe and Reserve Grand Champion Ewe at the National at Dubbo in August, 2003. Judge George Merriman said she was a lovely ewe, very even all over with hardly a fibre out of place!

A twin son of Queenie was sold to Will Roberts, Victoria Downs Merino Stud, Qld in 2006.

The fleece off Queenie’s first lamb won the Grand Champion Fleece at Toowoomba in 2007.

I took a couple of ewes down for an ET programme at Alfoxton in 2005.
The results were disappointing, but it did produce a lovely ewe that won two Supreme titles in 2007.
Thanks to Chris Clonan for his help. The ewe, Cindy, is by a syndicated Merryville ram and her fleece was Champion Stud Ewe Fleece at the EKKA, 2007.

At the State Sheep Show at Goondiwindi. So what was Harry saying to Liz? He obviously has a comment for the Governor, Penny Wensley!

Will 'n' me after he won Supreme at Tenterfield Show in Feb. at his first show.

Harry and Liz before they left for Bendigo and the Australian Sheep and Wool Show. Photo by James Nason, Q'land Country Life.

Queenie at Roma in May 2003.

Queenie at Dubbo in August 2003.

Supreme Exhibit in 2007 at Toowoomba and Goondiwindi.

Supreme Exhibit, Toowoomba and Goondiwindi, 2007

Cindy, who won several Supremes last year, is the proud mum of this nice ram lamb. Old NB(XRockbank PG) sired a few lambs from my best ewes before he died last winter.

Ram sold to Victoria Downs at Charleville, 2006. Will Roberts tells me he has survived the drought and is looking well.

The Toowoomba Royal Show was held in School holidays this year and Jaimie and Tiana enjoyed showing their 15.5mic. ewe weaner. photo: Richard Waugh, Q.Country Life.

Champion Fine Wool Ram and Reserve Champion Ram of the show, State Sheep Show, Roma, 2008. (photo: Richard Waugh, Q.Country Life)

Four outstanding Rockbank sires have been used by AI at Karmala. Three of them have won Supreme Exhibit awards at Bendigo, in 2000 (Roberto) and 2001 (PG), and the 2006 winner was also National Champion at Dubbo. The other ram, Rockbank Bruiser, is sire of the 2006 winner.

“N.B.” is by RockBank P.G. and was described by George Merriman as a potential impact sire; he has great size and presence with a very stylish wool. Grand Champion Fine Wool Ram at Roma.

Karmala N.B.

RockBank Roberto and RockBank PG. Photo by Wayne Jenkins, Dubbo, 2000.

John Crawford with Rockbank's Australian Supreme Ram, 2006

Ram lambs by Rockbank rams, 2007

Ram lambs, 2007

In 2004 Karmala showed Grand Champion Stud Ewe Fleece at the EKKA (Brisbane Royal Exhibition)

In 2006 Karmala showed Reserve Champion Stud Ewe Fleece at the EKKA
This fleece tested 14.4 mic. and weighed 5.1kg. skirted. It was penalised 2 pts. for weight…

The fleeces from the 2009 Queensland Pair have been left in Victoria to be shown at the show next year.

Queensland Country Life Cover, 3/007

Supreme exhibit, Toowoomba Royal Show 2005. A Queensland-bred August shorn two tooth ram.

Supreme Exhibit at Goondiwindi 2006. (photo by John Skinner)

Cindy makes it a double at Goondiwindi in 2007, photo by John Skinner