WEST Brookton sheep farmer Keith Simmons is one of many farmers who either grows or buys in lupins as a source of feed for livestock.
With a lifetime of hands-on experience Mr Simmons said he bought in 70 tonne of lupins this year to ensure he had enough feed for his Merino flock.
“Lupins are the best thing to feed,” Mr Simmons said.
“We run the sheep on the roughage in the paddock and feed out lupins as an additional source of protein.
“We feed our ewes twice a week and our wethers once a week – but they have got to have the roughage.”
Mr Simmons said he tried growing lupins years ago and had success with the first crop.
But the following year failed to produce so he decided to buy in from a local producer.
Mr Simmons said his use of lupins had added value to his business by earning 125 cents a kilogram for his shipping wethers and his best price ever for wool this year – 1540 cents a kilogram for 17.2 micron.
He said he didn’t do condition score testing, but has learnt over the years to assess their health by looking at the sheep.
“I can tell by looking at them if they need to put weight on or if they are doing alright,” Mr Simmons said.
“It’s something I’ve learnt over the years.”
Mr Simmons has been working the land since he was 14 and operates a family business with his daughters Wendy and Debbie.