Consultancy

My first introduction to David Kain was a very long telephone conversation where I was enquiring about purchasing some Dohne stud ewes for our Victorian Stud. To this day I don't know who asked the most questions of who.

David was very interested in our venture and arranged a visit for me to Western Australia to meet with him and see his Dohne stud ewes. I spent two days with David where he explained passionately the Dohne Breeding Program as we selected ewes that would be able to thrive in the wet Western Victorian environment.

The hospitality I received from him was exceptional, we discussed many things from the transportation and care of the ewes to lambing after they arrived in Victoria. He played a very supportive role and followed up the progress as the ewes adjusted to their new environment. That support continues still.

David is a very passionate man who doesn't just sell sheep. He sells a life long partnership in success."

Carol Hale
Burnbank Dohne Stud
Mooralla Victoria

We bought our first dohne rams from Far Valley in 2004.

Our intention was to restore some vigour into our merino flock which had become too reliant on the feed from the silos and the lambing seemed to have plateaud at around 80% no matter how much feed they were given.

We use the EBVs to lean towards a fast maturing sheep to take advantage of the good early prices for our turnoff lambs.

Most years the wth lambs and cull ewe lambs are off the farm before the feed drys out which contrasts to trying to fatten lambs in feb/march when the feed is at its dearest.

We now have F1 to F3 ewes on the farm and our lambing this year will be about 100%.

Our wool cut per head has come back slightly but at the same time has become about 1 micron finer.

Our sheep are now much plainer bodied , which has helped to lower the incidence of fleecerot , dermatitis and body strike and most importantly meant we have not mulesed a lamb for three years.

With so much progress in such a short time we cant wait to see what improvements come with our progression to F4 over the next few years."

Graham + Pat Riseborough

Torino had a long established Peppin/AMS flock running ewes and wethers and cutting a standard clip of 20-21 microns and a lambing rate of around 70%. In 2006 following a particularly tough season and continuing poor wool prices we decided to make some changes to the farm plan. Increase cropping and therefore summer stubbles, reduce the overall number of sheep and switch to a wool/meat product to spread the risk and increase opportunities. We wanted to move to a largely ewe flock growing fine wool and selling hoggets off shears to the local and shipping market. That meant increasing lambing rates, growing better meat sheep more quickly, and reducing our microns.

After looking around we decided to go with new rams from David Kain's Far Valley stud.

The result has been very successful. Despite this last year being one of the driest on record, or perhaps because of it, we cut a very satisfactory, even, light and bright clip of 17.3 micron wool with the top line topping its sale. The highest price we have ever received.

We have moved to a summer feeding regime of oat stubble, saltbush pick and protein pellets from lick feeders. In April, after eight months of drought we sold a line of 175 hoggets straight out of the paddock for high market rates. The first time we have managed to do that.

We now have a 2% mating ratio with our Far Valley Dohne rams. This year we have our first f3 lambs. Last year the lambing was up by 10% to a mid 80's drop. This year we are hoping for better, even with the lack feed. The Far Valley boys have delivered everything we had hoped for.

Harry Bardwell
Torino, West Wagin

I have used Far Valley Dohne rams since I started with an upgrading program, 8 years ago. I have used them in contrasting environments from the far eastern wheatbelt at Southern Cross to the higher rainfall region at Arthur River in the Great Southern. The Far Valley rams came highly recommended. They have everything in a breeding ram that I require. Longevity is one of their positive attributes. I have some of the first rams that I purchased back in 2003, and when we were farming at Southern Cross and Arthur River we actually used these rams twice a year, still achieving high conception rates with joining rates of only 1%.

The Far Valley stud offers a wide range of attributes that any producer may want, from long muscled animals with lower wool production, suitable for lamb production, to well constituted plain bodied wool types, with wool that handles the wetter climate.

The Far Valley rams come highly recommended, not only for the physical animal they produce, but because of the genetics and breeding and the meticulous detail that Far Valley principal, David Kain, puts into these animals. David is a step ahead of what the commercial producer requires. At Far Valley they are not interested in producing a show ring champion, but what the commercial producer wants and requires.

So, I would strongly recommend Far Valley sheep to anyone in Australia, or genetics worldwide. Likewise, if you are looking for advice for breeding, marketing and research, David has the knowledge, experience and commitment to fulfill any challenge he takes on.

Bernie & Rachel
"Aprelia"
H.A. & S.A. PANIZZA & Co.