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Kromspruit Dohne Merino Stud Stormhoek |
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INTRODUCTION Our aim is to breed a vigorous, easy care sheep that is adapted to a highland sourveld environment and to breed rams that will produce progeny with the highest possible economic potential in terms of lamb and wool production under our conditions. We apply an efficient breeding system and a strict selection system which is in line with the standards set by the Dohne Merino Breed Society. Our high standards dictate that only rams that qualify for our own use are offered for sale. Breeding material produced in the Kromspruit Stud is making a profound contribution to the improvement of many studs and commercial flocks in the RSA.
BACKGROUND Our property is situated west of Memel in the North Eastern Freestate at an altitude of 1800 metres. It has an average summer rainfall of 770 mm. Winters are severe and cold. Both extensive sheep and beef cattle production is practised and a large, highly productive Jersey dairy herd complements the extensive enterprises. Freddie's father, Johan Schmidt, farmed with Merinos. Dohne Merinos were introduced in 1956. Freddie took over the family enterprise in 1979 when he developed a ram breeding flock based on the Open Nucleus System advocated by the Society. The system comprises 3000 commercial ewes and 1000 fully recorded stud ewes. The most superior 3 - 5% of the maiden flock ewes are selected on measurement for promotion to the ram breeding flock each year.
MANAGEMENT Stud ewes are mated in November. Lambs are weaned onto any available green feed at 70 days of age where they remain for winter and ewes are returned to natural pastures with a lick. Young rams revert to natural pastures in spring where they remain in one large group until performance testing in mid February at 12 months of age. The exposure of all sheep to these severe natural conditions is the key element that guarantees the improvement of production efficiency in a low cost environment. Only sheep that have the hardiness and vigour to thrive and produce under these conditions can ultimately qualify as parents of the following generation.
SELECTION Only the best 40% of the available rams are selected for use or for sale. After performance testing the best 50 rams are selected for own use. The balance of the approved rams are offered for sale. After initial mating the top 50 rams are retested for fibre diameter. On the basis of both the initial and the subsequent tests, as well as rigid visual standards relating to conformation and wool style as well as the ideal balance between them, the best 20 rams are selected as stud sires. These sires are used once and than offered on national sales. The balance of the 50 rams are offered together with stud and commercial ewes and slaughter lambs on our production sale. To enhance genetic progress the generation interval is kept short in the Kromspruit stud by using only one age group of rams and 3 age groups of ewes. "Although I sell my best rams at an early age, thus generating good cash flows by using them first, the genetics stay on the farm"
Kromspruit Stud rams enjoy a keen demand and command excellent prices on Society sales. Achievements on the national sale at Bloemfontein over the past 10 years have been: Total Number Offered Average Top Price Average Price 60 R 8,505.00 R 4,049.00 |
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PRODUCTION The average production for the young rams over the past 10 years has been: Body Weight 57.3 kg Clean Fleece Weight 4.0 kg Fibre Diameter 21.1 microns
Wool production in the commercial flock is 4.5 kg per head, with a clean yield of 68% and a fibre diameter of 20.3 microns. Weaning percentage in the commercial flocks is never less than 100%. All wether lambs are sold as weaners to feedlots. Dohne Merinos are renowned for their growth potential, in both the feedlot and on pastures. Average daily gains of up to 400 grams with feed conversion rates of 4 to 1 are regularly attained in feedlots. For this reason feedlot owners have a preference for Dohne Merino weaners. The exceptional productivity of this stud is being successfully transferred to other flocks and studs. The easy care features of Kromspruit rams enable them to adapt well to all environments. They are making an important impact on the woolled sheep industry of the RSA. |
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Freddie Schmidt PO Box 199 Memel 2970 South Africa Tel: + 27 58 9240684 Cell: 082 8527 942 |
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Freddie Schmidt PO Box 199 Memel 2970 South Africa Tel: + 27 58 9240684 Cell: 082 8527 942 |
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Winner Top Breeder Award 1992 |
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FREDDIE AND MARK SCHMIDT OF THE KROMSPRUIT AND STORMHOEK DOHNE STUDS, MEMEL, ARE THE 2010 WINNERS OF THE TOP BREEDER COMPETITION OF THE DOHNE MERINO BREED SOCIETY OF SA. |
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Freddie Schmidt, the 2010 national winner is an experienced animal breeder who understands the principles regarding the genetic improvement of beef and dairy cattle as well as woolled sheep. He puts theories and evaluation techniques to the test in a practical manner as proved by the result of a recent experiment (published elsewhere in this Journal). He mated two sires with high and low breeding values for body weight respectively to two groups of randomly selected ewes to determine the body weight response of the progeny. His son, Mark, is quickly learning the principles of the recipe for success with stock farming from Freddie and he could hardly wish for a more experienced tutor. Freddie won the National Top Breeder Award in 1992 and has since been actively competing in the competition by winning the Regional competition (Eastern Free State) six times. Six regional winners competed for the national Top Breeder award this year which was evaluated according to an objective set of standards. The competition was marked by marginal points differences between competitors. To further support their abilities as stock farmers they both got nominated for Farmer of the Year for the Free State Region by the Agricultural Writers Association (Central Region) and they won the 2010 Molatek National Cattle Farmer (commercial) competition of the year. Freddie has been serving on the council of the Dohne Merino Breed Society since 1996 where he is making a meaningful contribution towards the industry in general and particularly towards technical aspects of the Dohne Merino.
A detailed report on the production system operated by Freddie when he won the National Sheep Farmer of the Year award appeared in the 2007 Dohne Merino Journal. This article makes mention of some aspects of the system which have changed since 2007.
Kromspruit and Stormhoek Fine Wool studs: Freddie has two registered Dohne Merino studs and operates an open nucleus system which is registered on the Foundation Flock Register of the Dohne Merino Breed Society. The Kromspruit stud was founded in 1978 and the Stormhoek stud in 2002 when animals with the highest body weights and lowest wool fibre diameter were selected from the Foundation Flock and the Kromspruit stud. In the years that followed the selection objective for animals in the Stormhoek fine wool stud was to select animals with high body weights and low wool fibre diameter.
The selection response achieved, reflects positive progress in terms of all production traits for the Stormhoek fine wool stud since the time of inception. Noteworthy is the fact that the stud is characterised by high body weights with low wool fibre diameter as well as a very slight increase in clean fleece weight. (A comprehensive analysis of phenotypic values of both studs was published in the 2007 Dohne Merino Journal). These results clearly illustrate how traditional ideas i.e. that sheep with low wool fibre diameter are smaller, are proven to be incorrect through purposeful selection. It further illustrates that efficient production, and the subsequent increase in farming income, can be successfully achieved through the application of modern breeding practices.
Stud ewes are mated by means of artificial insemination in November to lamb in March. Ewes with multiples are closed up in pens for five days after which they go onto pastures. This increases lamb survival and facilitates pedigree recording. A 180% lambing is recorded in both studs. During the rest of the year stud animals run together with the commercial flock under natural conditions.
Commercial flock: The commercial flock is mated in two groups at different times of the year. The first group gets mated during May to lamb in October. Ewes are synchronised (no hormones are administered) and natural mating is practiced with one ram to eight ewes for a three day period. Follow up rams are left with the ewes for one heat cycle. This is done to limit the period during which lambs are born and to reduce the time during which lambs are being exposed to predators. Mating is done on natural grazing and a balanced lick is provided. This group lambs in October on sour veld grazing with a balanced lick. Ewes with multiples are closed up in pens for five days to limit losses after which they go back onto natural pastures with an appropriate lick. Weaning percentage is 150 with a weaning weight of 32 kg at 100 days. Wether lambs go to the feedlot and are marketed at 45 kg live weight. They dress-out on average 47% and 95% grade A2 and A3. Replacement ewes go back on natural pastures until they are old enough and ready for selection and mating.
The second group of breeding ewes are mated in September to lamb in February. The same mating procedure is followed as with the first group. The ewes lamb on natural sour veld grazing with an appropriate lick. Ewes with multiples are also closed up in pens for five days to limit losses after which they go back onto natural veld with an appropriate lick. Due to the severe winters these lambs are weaned earlier (60 to 90 days) and their live weights vary between 26 kg and 29 kg. Replacement ewe lambs go to green feed pastures. Wether lambs go to the feedlot from where they are marketed at 45 kg live weight. The dressing-out percentage of this group is 47% and 95% achieving A2 and A3 grades.
Public sales:
Freddie has not only achieved good results on public sales, (Table1), but the distribution of genetic material from the Kromspruit and Stormhoek studs also has a positive impact on the national Dohne flock in the RSA. On behalf of the members of the Dohne Merino Breed Society of SA we congratulate Freddie, Mark and Selma with their impressive records, achievements and awards. |
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Left: Mark, Freddie and Selma Schmidt of the Kromspruit and Stormhoek Dohne Studs are the 2010 winners of Top Breeder Competition and Virbac Trophy. |
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Right: Mark Schmidt with some of the young sires to be used in the 2010 mating programme of the Stormhoek and Kromspruit studs. |
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Production Sales |
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Term |
Average No. rams |
Average Price ® |
Top Price ® |
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2002 - 2010 |
50 |
5 262 |
38 000 |
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National Sales |
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2005 - 2010 |
3.8 |
17 340 |
60,000 |
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Table 1 |
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