Kennedy Creek Poll Dorset stud

Stud and flock ram sale 2014/15

We have a total selection of 129 rams available for sale this year,

significantly less than the past few years. These rams are well above

average terminal sire performance levels and have grown out well. Please

note that stud sales are currently available so some rams may not be

available for flock ram sales which start 14 October 14. There are two main

periods when sale rams were born– May/early June 2013 or late

August/September 2013. Rams with tag numbers over 450 are in the second

of these groups, hence mostly have lower bodyweight. Ten 2012 drop rams

are also included in this catalogue.

All rams have been assessed for scrotal circumference in September 2014.

We consider all rams over 28cm scrotal circumference (SC) to be of

appropriate fertility with almost all rams above 30cm. We suggest using a

joining rate of approximately 1 ram to 40 ewes in yearling rams. A lower

percentage of rams may be used but does not take into account any injuries

or illnesses that may occur in your ram team during the joining season.

All rams have been vaccinated twice as lambs with 6 in 1 vaccine and again

in August 2013. We advise vaccinating your rams twice yearly (prior to

changing feed or if going onto grain rations). This is primarily to reduce the

chance of pulpy kidney. All rams have been vaccinated using Gudair and

our property carries a JDMN3V rating. We are also ovine brucellosis free

and have been since the OB program began. We have no history of lice or

footrot in the stud and do not trade sheep to avoid the chance of bringing

this in. Rams were however treated with Zapp off-shears as extra insurance

for this. Our rams are only fed grain as a supplementary (drought) ration,

rather than for performance. For this reason they do not look as big as

some other flock rams, however you will find they continue to grow out for

at least another twelve months (hence will require good quality feed in this

time). This also helps aid their longevity so hopefully you will get an extra

season or two out of them compared to heavier rams.

Prices of all rams are available on application (please send us an email –

kennedycreek@gmail.com, or call us 0357621362). If you have any

particular ram requirements or want to discuss ram purchases please

contact us. Rams will be priced primarily according to their ASBVs and

vary in price from $500-$1000 plus GST for commercial rams with studs

starting at $1500. There are a number of abbreviations on the following

pages – a brief summary:

BWT = birthweight, WWT = weaning weight, PWT = post weaning

weight, PFAT = post weaning fat, PEMD = post weaning eye muscle,

PWEC = worm egg count, Cplus = carcase plus index, Trade $ = Trade

index, L2020 = Lamb 2020 index. If you need any further explanation

about these measurements please contact us or have a look at

www.sheepgenetics.org.au.

If you have particular requirements we can provide data on any groupings

on rams to your request within certain ASBV ranges or sire groupings.

Please let us know if you would like this information. If you would like any

further information on our stud you can find it online at a number of

sources.

www.slideshare.net/kennedycreek, www.facebook.com/kennedycreek1,

www.polldorset.org.au/kennedycreek or you can even get to us on twitter

@KennedyCreek1

We are also very happy to chat on the phone or meet you in person so you

can have a good old fashioned look at the rams in the paddock. We look

forward to seeing you this year.

The Barber Family.

Details on Sires Used for 2013 drop progeny:

304 = KC 304/08

A very consistent performer; amazing meat quality traits, short

gestation period and good lambing ease. He sired 122/10 and has been

used in the CRC flock.

44 = KC 44/09

Affectionately known as pothole (he is always in the way), a very

solid ram that has been used in the CRC, at Kennedy Creek and

Kentish Downs Poll Dorset studs. He has tremendous thickness and

muscling.

186 = KC 186/09

A high performance ram out of one of the highest ranked ewes for

post weaning muscle at Kennedy Creek. Massive growth and muscle

with moderate fat and low worm egg count. This ram has been used

on the CRC and extensively in our own flock. Some excellent

progeny.

939 = Wyndamah 939/08

This ram has one of the best post weaning muscle figures of any

Wyndamah ram and great growth rate. An excellent performer with

progeny now being used in our stud (KC461/11).

13 = KC 13/10

This ram shares the same dam as 44/09 with an infusion of growth

from KC84/08, one of our highest growth rate sires. A very solid ram

with high growth.

461 = KC461/11

A son of 939 with great growth and thickenss. Very good structure

and Poll Dorset type.

122 = KC 122/10

Possibly the best ram we have bred – excellent blend of figures and

ram is an excellent type. Used in CRC & semen available. Great Poll

Dorset wool and head with excellent length and feet.

19 = KC 19/11

A very solid son of Majardah 157 who has stayed in our program for

2015. A great all-rounder with progeny to suit a range of possible

markets.

38 = KC38/11

One of our highest growth sons of Majardah 157 with very good

muscle as well. Used in the CRC

1144 = KC 44/11

A son of Majardah 157 – Our highest Cplus sire.

64 = KC 64/11

A son of Linton 603 – excellent figures, low birth weight, great

lambing ease sire with good thickness for Merino joining.

102= KC102/12

Progeny test sire – good export performer from KC122

160 =KC160/12

Progeny test sire – great Trade$ sire from KC41 – one of our highest

indexed sires with excellent overall performance. A number of high

quality sons catalogued.

181=KC181/12

Progeny test sire – retained for 2014, massive growth and muscle, son

of KC44/11.

246=KC246/12

Progeny test sire – good all rounder from KC19

452=KC452/12

Progeny test sire from 122/10. Excellent growth sire.

531=KC531/12

Progeny test sire from W65. Highest growth sire at KCPD

547=KC547/12

Progeny test sire from W173. Great growth and all round figures.

621=KC21/12

Progeny test sire from P284. Huge growth and muscle with great

balance and outlook. Retained in stud for continued use.

Working for the present, investing in the future.

Kennedy Creek Poll Dorset stud (Flock 1415) first invested in the terminal

sire industry over 45 years ago with the purchase of ewes from the Mirnoo

Poll Dorset stud (Flock number 9), one of the earliest Poll Dorset studs.

The first 25 years of the Kennedy Creek Poll Dorset Stud (then called

Kelfeera Poll Dorset Stud) used subjective selection and the show ring for

sire selection from a number of leading studs. With the advent of

Lambplan and performance recording the stud moved into this area in

combination with subjective selection to enhance genetic gain in the stud

and to improve commercial and stud returns to our clients.

We have witnessed significant change in the industry – none greater than

over the past ten years. In fact, at times it can be hard to keep up with the

increased information flow and requirements. Equally the past ten years

have been incredibly exciting with new tools that we have at our disposal

to enhance our traditional selection measures that we continue to use as

part of our selection process. It has also seen an increase in size of our stud

where we are in the top 25% of stud flocks with respect to ewe numbers

allowing us to select more heavily and prove a larger selection of sires.

The use of Lambplan Australian Sheep Breeding Values (ASBVs) allows us

to maximise genetic progress in our stud as well as provide the highest

quality genetic information to commercial and stud producers about our

sheep. This data is compared across all terminal sire breeds in Australia.

We endeavour to maximise the accuracy of this data by comparing our

sires with link sires across other flocks, including groups such as Meat Elite

Australia. We also retain our ram lambs in a single age group until all post

weaning measurements are taken (PWT, PEMD & PFAT). This gives us

confidence in the data that we submit to Sheepgenetics so the analysis that

is performed is the best accuracy data that we can provide.

Each year we progeny test 5-10 of our young sires on farm to further review

our data quality and to ensure that we are providing consistently high

quality information. We have also commenced collection of genomic

breeding values (GBVs) with more than 20 of our sires and potential sires

tested already for meat quality traits. These tests allow us to estimate

rams for hard to measure traits such as intramuscular fat, tenderness and

all the standard Lambplan terms as well when they are lambs. This has the

potential to reduce generation interval and improve our selection processes

for young rams and ewes as we will have more information to base our

selections on.

A number of our sires have also been used in the information nucleus flocks

as part of the sheep CRC. These sires include KC 440/07, KC 304/08, KC

44/09, KC 186/09, KC 122/10, KC 38/11 & KC 621/12. These sires have also

been used on property which again improves overall accuracy of figures as

well as giving us faith that the analysis is performing as expected. The use

of high quality on-farm data provided for high quality analysis through

SGA gives us figures that provide the commercial or stud ram purchaser

the highest quality figures that can currently be provided. We have no

doubt that this may change in the next ten to twenty years as the genomics

revolution and other as yet undeveloped technologies influence what we do.

In the short term, we will continue to invest in the use of new technologies

while utilising traditional selection based on good Dorset stud attributes

(including wool), conformation and reproductive capacity. We have also

invested over the past three years in electronic identification of all young

sheep and will move this across all age groups over the next year. The

main purpose of this is to improve data accuracy and facilitate easier

collection of data. We welcome any inspections of rams or the flock at all

times and provide information on-line for those who find it difficult to

travel to all the studs they would like to. If there are particular things you

would like to see on-line please let us know and we will do our best to make

these available.

We look forward to seeing you and wish you well in your sheep enterprise.

Some images from Kennedy Creek Poll Dorsets in 2013/14

KCPD lambs at weaning in September 2014.

KCPD ewes at weaning, lambs shown in left

panel

Rams assessed for scrotal size prior to sale

Sale rams in September 2014 showing sale brands

KCPD 621 at 10 month ewe of age joining

KCPD 122 as a 12 month old ram

Stud rams prior to joining 2013

KCPD612 & 545 pre March joining