A Merino enterprise started six years ago with the purchase of surplus Woodpark Poll 1.5yo sale ewes and 6yo ewes, joined to a mix of the stud’s auction and grade rams, has topped the PWMMC, Australia’s largest wether trial. The Mulquiny family’s, Wooroonook, Vic, origin wether team had an average wool and carcase value of $205 a head, which was $10 than the next highest-value team.
- Highest average return in Peter Westblade Memorial Merino Challenge for wether team entered by Mulquiny family, Wooroonook, Vic.
- $205 / head combined wool and carcase result
- $10/head above next highest ranked team
- Highest carcase value
- Highest Rampower DP ranking
- Third highest wool return – 7.1kg GFW of 16.2 micron wool
- Second highest Rampower FP and MP rank
- Australia’s largest commercial Merino evaluation
- 40 entrants in total
- Mulquinys started breeding six years ago
- Established flock with 110 6-year-old Woodpark Poll ewes and Woodpark grade and auction rams
- Added Woodpark Poll-bred 1.5yo ewes from Jerilderie sale following year
- Liked elite wool and doing ability
The Mulquiny family of Wooronook, near Charlton’s, wether team, averaged $205/head, rewarding their focus on quality, and drive for a balance of wool and carcase, at the most recent shearing and carcase appraisal of the Peter Westblade Memorial Merino Challenge.
The Mulquinys started their breeding operation when Harrison and Lachlan Mulquiny approached Stephen Huggins to buy Woodpark Poll 6yo ewes, six years ago. The following year they added a run of surplus one and a half year old Woodpark Poll-bred commercial ewes at the feature Jerilderie September Merino sale the following year, each year joining them to Woodpark Poll rams initially from the grades then the auction.
Their PWMMC result came from the wethers highest carcase value (and highest weight) of the trial, combined with its 16.2 micron and 7.1kg greasy fleece weight average wool, netting the second highest fleece weight and value in their age group, and the third highest wool value in the trial. The team also ranked highest on the Rampower DP index and the second highest on both the MP and FP index.
WMMC convenor Craig Wilson, Craig Wilson, said it was “no surprise” the team had “compared so well in the PWMMC, Australia’s largest evaluation of commercial Merino genetics.”
In a report by The Land in June, Mr Wilson said: “They are a great example of what you can do, because they didn’t even have sheep six years ago they just went out and bought really good quality ewes and rams.”
“We liked the elite wool and their doing ability and I just liked the look of the sheep – square, boxy and their fertility so we’ve got more scope to get the genetic gain quicker,” Mr Mulquiny told The Land.