Lamb buyers pay for lean - so that's what they get.

CATSCAN of three carcases of identical weight and fatscore, but widely varying meat to bone ratio. No differentiation occurs during processing and each carcase has the same value for the producer when sold over the hook. Saleyard pricing indicates a preference for the long, low- yielding carcase pictured right.

A NSW abattoir owner, Chris Cummins of Breakout River Meats, and several NSW butchers, have sparked a fiery debate in the eastern states with comments that the lamb industry has bred its way out of higher profits by following fashionable trends and breeding lambs too "long, lean, lanky and lacking" with the result it was becoming hard to find lambs with the good loin, eye muscle and hindquarter which provide the top cuts. In response to that argument, which is also relevant to the WA market, it needs to be pointed out that processors receive exactly the type of lamb rewarded using the only signals with any meaning for producers, pricing. The CATSCAN shows three carcases of identical weight and fatscore, but widely varying meat to bone ratio and conformation. Quite obviously Mr Cummins and the butchers quoted in the articles are describing the lamb on the left with a high meat/bone ratio and good conformation as desirable but most buyers reward the 'length equals yield' carcase on the right, with the higher yielding carcase on the left usually dismissed as 'too short, too fat and not tall enough'. No differentiation occurs during processing and each of these carcases has the same value for the producer when sold over the hook.

There is no language in the marketplace to encourage conformation and high yield and no incentive to producers to make any changes. If the processing/retail industry wants meatier carcases a more accurate description is required than the current pricing indicators so that demand can encourage supply through market driven pricing, the only language with any meaning for producers. The European market solved this problem 40 years ago; the tools are available and this transparent value-based marketing consistently delivers product with 65% lean meat yield.

Prime Lamb competitions remain one of the few commercial benchmarking opportunities for the industry, both producers and processors. A buyer for a NSW abattoir judged the 2008 RASNSW Illabo Prime Lamb Competition to demonstrate perfectly the poor commercial signals currently used. Not one of the place getters rewarded as commercially valuable on the hoof was placed when commercial value was measured at the abattoir. A 100% miss in the liveweight section of a competition judged on the commercial value of the carcases to producer and processor. The champion carcase, and all first places in the carcase section, were won by Texel Merino cross lambs in a result that closely duplicated the last 6 years of that competition.

Producers breeding high yielding lamb are frustrated to see it emerge from the great averaging system of the processing industry to be sold only by weight with no description to enable the retailer to specify conformation or yield. Who would sell their wheat by the tonne with no grading? Wool by the kg with no classing? Yet this is how lamb is sold. When the market describes all lamb as identical at the same weight buyers and processors reward bone not meat. As the old saying goes "You get what you pay for"

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Te Rakau Texels top Moora sale at $3000

Member of the Legislative Council Brian Ellis (left), opened the Moora sale last week and is with top price vendors Te Rakau Texel stud principals Robert and Maria Wood, Bindi Bindi, buyers Robin and Jan Higgins, Bangalup Texel stud, Frankland River, and Elders Moora livestock manager Michael Longford with the $3000 top price ram at the annual Moora British and Australasian breeds ram sale.

Loyal clients returned to offer strong support at the 23rd annual British and Australasian breeds ram sale at Moora where prices reached $3000 for a Texel ram.

The sale was officially opened by the Hon Brian Ellis, MLC Ag region who has a close connection with Moora and surrounding districts. He commended the presentation of the line-up in light of the roller coaster season in the area. The absence of a few vendors saw a correction the numbers offered but this failed to deter regular buyers keen to fill their ram requirements with sires of proven performance and breeding. A number of buyers also travelled long distances to attend the sale.

The catalogue was sold under the Elders, Primaries and Landmark banners, and saw 87 rams of various breeds offered, which was 31 less than last year. At the end of the sale there was a 91pc clearance and $590 average, up $44 on last year.

The Wood family's Te Rakau Texel stud, Bindi Bindi topped the sale yet again with an outstanding sire penned at lot 13. This ram ignited a bidding marathon before being knocked down to the Bangalup Texel stud, Frankland River, for $3000. The top price ram was by Pinnnacle 233/01 and had been sashed reserve champion at Wagin Woolororama in March. Buyer Robin Higgins said the sire offered new genetics to the stud and had outstanding frame and carcase qualities and was very true to the breed. The ram's sire scores highly in the NZ SIL sire reference scheme.

The Te Rakau stud also claimed the sale's $1800 second top price when it sold a ram to Bremer Bay graziers WM Pittard.

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The Texel Gene Advantage.

Extensive testing has proved to Te Rakau principals Rob and Maria Wood that the valuable myostatin gene is fully integrated into their flock. The advantage to producers who consign lamb over the hook is obvious. A single copy of myostatin delivers 5% more muscling in the leg and loin and 7% less carcass fat. Over the years Texel breeders throughout Australia have received reports from delighted clients that their Texel sired lambs returned anywhere between $3 and $9 per head more than identical consignments of other breeds.

The Sheep CRC research into profitable DNA markers describes myostatin as by far the most significant gene marker identified to date. Purebred Texels, the only original source of myostatin, will carry two copies thus ensuring all crossbred progeny are consistently profitable as they will inherit one copy. Each generation further away from pure Texel breeding can produce very attractive sires but the frequency of the gene is reduced at each cross. Only half the progeny of a composite animal carrying a single copy of myostatin will receive any benefit.

Recent media reports claim that increased muscling and leanness can lead to poor eating quality. These misleading claims are based on research where lambs lost an average of 4.1kg over the 60 day period prior to slaughter. This is so at odds with standard practice prime lamb production, and at compete variance with research elsewhere, that the findings should be ignored.

The New Zealand Central progeny testing is the only commercial comparison available to producers in Australia and New Zealand, and attracts a number of Australian sires. Over the previous few years the growth plus meat (profitability) results have been consistently dominated by Texels. In 2008 the breed again featured in 10 of the top 20 placings, far outperforming all other terminal sire breeds, with the purebred Texels once again outranking the composite sires. When selling over the hooks yield is profit

Te Rakau principals Rob and Maria Wood are delighted to have the first progeny of imported Scottish genetics proving their worth, shown here at 16 weeks. The lambs have gained in excess of 350gr/hd/day since birth with a magnificent hindquarter .

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Wagin Woolorama 2008

Reserve Champion ram at Wagin Woolorama 2008 pictured with member for the Agricultural Region Hon Brian Ellis MLA and Rob and Maria Wood.

The young ram is sired by Pinnacle 233/01. The win was very pleasing as he became reserve champion at 8 months of age, and several months younger than his competition.

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Moora British & Australasian Breeds Sale 2007.

The $1600 top price ram on account of Morronging Texel stud of the Temby family, Dumbleyung, from Te Rakau Texel stud principals Maria and Robert Wood, Bindi Bindi.

An air of optimism prevailed as loyal repeat buyers showed their strong support for the Moora prime lamb breeders at their 22nd annual sale which hit a high of $1600.

Despite locals and the wider community finding the seasonal conditions unfavourable over the last couple of years, producers were still keen to secure their ram requirements to 83% of the 118 head catalogue.

Whilst the figure was back $231 on the 2006 result, the offering was also reduced by 37 rams in light of seasonal conditions. Although this was the case the rams that stood before buyers were of a high quality and comended by the auctioneers and special guest MLA WA director Peter Trefort, Narrogin, who officially opened the sale.

The day's top price was achieved in the last section of the catalogue when a classy Texel ram from the Te Rakau offering of Robert and Maria Wood, Bindi Bindi, went under the hammer. Te Rakau continued its top results by selling 21 of 29 rams offered to an overall average of $557.

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October 2006
Te Rakau Texels top Moora Sale.

Loyal supporters of Moora’s 21^st Annual Prime Lamb Sire sale turned out in force to push prices to $2550 and a healthy average of $777 for well-bred upstanding meat sires.  An offering of 149 Border Leicesters, Texels, Poll Dorsets, South Suffolks, White Suffolks and Suffolks sold to a healthy 80% clearance. And while the dry season resulted in some conservative buying there was still strong support from a wide range of buyers.

Taking top honours for the day was Robert and Maria Wood’s Te Rakau Texel stud, Bindi Bindi, which realised the top price of $2550 for a well put together ram featuring figures of 4.77wwt, 5.79pwwt, -1.32fat, 1.2emd with a Carcase Plus index of 156.25.  Both his sire and sire of dam exhibit the double Myomax gene.  With three interested parties in on the action the hammer was stalled until Ivan Clune bidding on behalf of Robert Temby of Morronging Texel Stud, Dumbleyung had the last hand up. The well-bred ram includes a Wagin Woolorama breed champion and a three times Perth Royal Show breed champion in his pedigree.  Te Rakau continued its top performance selling 29 of its 30 rams for an average of $803.

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October 2004.
RAM AVERAGE ROCKETS AT MOORA.

With the $1900 top-priced Te Rakau ram that sold through Elders at the Moora British and Australasian Breeds ram sale was Elders Moora's Dean McCuish (left) and Te Rakau stud principals Maria and Robert Wood. (photo courtesy WA Farm Weekly Click on image to enlarge)

It was a case of quality and quantity at the Moora British and Australasian breeds ram sale this year, where the highest average on record was achieved in the 19 years the event has been running. Robert and Maria Wood's offering of Texels met with solid buyer support throughout the catalogue as old and new buyers returned to take home the quality Texels the Wood have become renowned for.

The Te Rakau Texel stud continued its tradition of success at the sale with a tremendous average of $898 and again achieved the top price of $1900 for a well balanced, fleshy sire that was champion Texel ram at the Perth Royal Show and sold to PJ and EE Randall of 'Tahara'Texel stud at Albany.

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Perth Royal Show 2004.

Bindi Bindi Breeders Robert and Maria Wood stole the show with the entries from their Te Rakau Texel stud. Their feminine Texel ewe was the overall winner, taking out the supreme sash after being judged champion ewe from the earlier class for a ewe over 1.5 years showing no more than two permanent incisor teeth. The ewe had a ram lamb at foot that was a little power house, showing class and strength at such a young age. The judge said the ewe was good up front, stood well, had a magnificent face, good body showing plenty of meat and was everything that breeders hope to produce. The ewe was judged supreme over the Wood's other winning entry, the champion ram, as the judge said the ewe is where the breed has its strength. The champion ram was another pleasing example of the breed, with size, a great hindquarter and length of neck.

Te Rakau stud principals Maria and Robert Wood hold the supreme Texel and champion Texel ewe of the Perth Royal Show 2005. Click for enlargement (Photo courtesy Tanya Hill).

WAGIN WOOLORAMA 2004

Click for enlargement (Photo courtesy WA Farm Weekly.)

The Te Rakau, Bindi Bindi Texel stud, won its second Wagin Woolorama grand champion title in a row, but this year it was their ram that wore the purple sash. Judge Ray Castle said the 18-month-old sheep was well grown and exceptionally well muscled. "He's got an impeccable conformation, his feet are falultless and he's a very robust, masculine ram. He's got very good hock angulation and is just overall a really promising-looking sire". The Woods were delighted to win the broad ribbon for breed supreme and grand champion ram with a brother to 'Freddie' who, although retired from the show ring, was a three-time supreme champion at the Perth Royal.

The Te Rakau ewe which took out the sash for champion Texel ewe at this years' Wagin Woolorama was sired by 'Freddie' . However, the strength of Te Rakau's bloodlines was also proven at Wagin, with a ram by the name of 'Arnie', flexing his muscle as the sire of the winning progeny group, and the group of one ram and two ewes.