"MEASUREMENT is critical," "information is power" and "if we can measure it, we can do something about it" were key catchphrases used by WAMMCO's May Producer of the Month, Greg Sounness.
Mr Sounness, his wife Linda and his parents, Robert and Pam farm 607 hectares (1500 acres) at Denbarker.
The property was purchased in 1969 and was originally worked by Robert's father and his brother before Robert took over in 1979.
The property is set up as a grazing business with Mr Sounness currently running 1750 ewes, 330 allocated to the Denvale Dohne stud, 950 commercial Dohne ewes and 470 commercial Dohne ewes joined to White Suffolk rams as well as running 80 Red Angus breeders.
He pregnancy scans all ewes and typically achieves a lambing potential of 130 to 140 per cent.
With a third of the farm still bush, Mr Sounness has split the remainder of the property into small paddocks for added control.
This permits smaller mob sizes at lambing, with all mobs less than 200 head and multiple bearing ewes being allocated the better feed and shelter paddocks available on the farm.
In this farming system, lamb survival is key to profitability.
The Denvale Dohne stud commenced in 2002 following Mr Sounness's exposure to the South African breed when working on Rex Parsons', Jerramungup property.
The strong maternal characteristics (mothering capacity, good temperament, and fecundity) along with quality white wool on a plain body meant the Dohne breed ticked all the boxes.
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Accurate parentage and birthweights are all measured over a 30-to-40-day lambing period in the paddock, while stud classer, Nathan King assists in grading the stud with all key attributes measured.
Sheep Genetics Australia Sheep Breeding Values are produced on all stock with Denvale recently being one of only four national Dohne studs to be awarded a five-star data quality score award for the quality of the data submitted.
The majority of the 60-80 rams sold annually at its sale remain in the local region although some rams have gone as far as the Midlands, while the operation has also been successful in selling semen to leading studs in the Eastern States.
Quality pastures are the success behind the Denbarker operation with mixes including perennial ryegrass, clovers, oats and brassicas.
Each year, a portion is turned into individually wrapped pasture silage in September providing in the majority of years a high quality, worm free regrowth for lambs to thrive on.
Again, the silage is measured to ensure a quality product is being offered to the livestock.
Over the past few years Mr Sounness has introduced Rhos Gwyn White Suffolk genetics to his commercial Dohne ewes, with the added advantage of a solid line of suckers being sold at 20 weeks of age.
This year, he reported he has had green feed since April and while May failed to deliver much in the gauge, June has seen 235 millimetres.
While Mr Sounness is not complaining, the wet month has delivered its challenges and the region would definitely benefit from a few days of sunshine.
"Sometimes all the information and measurement can't compete with what Mother Nature throws at you," he said.
The May winning consignment consisted of 149 White Suffolk-Dohne lambs averaging 21.30 kilograms with 97.3pc hitting the WAMMCO Sweet Spot.
Denvale has enjoyed a long relationship with the co-operative, namely through past and current Nutrien Livestock agents Charlie Staite and Jarrad Hubbard and ex-WAMMCO livestock manager Peter Krupa.
Using a Pratley manual three-way draft unit, everything is weighed prior to transport so Mr Sounness has the ability to track dressing percentages from the detailed feedback in his kill sheets.
Although Mr Sounness does not factor in co-operative rebates when selling his livestock, he appreciates the value and timing of the payment when paid.
Being enthusiastic about the local environment, he is acting as chairman of the Wilson Inlet Catchment Committee.
The group consists of about 120 members, six staff and a board of nine.
The group is not political and bases all decisions on science.
Mr Sounness thoroughly enjoys the network opportunities and said access to professionals was amazing.
In an attempt to reduce potential erosion and the flow of nutrients into the Wilson Inlet, the group focuses heavily on soil testing and the fencing and planting of native species along creek lines.
Along similar lines, the group also has a dung beetle development program to improve soil fertility while assisting in the control of flies.
More recently the group successfully purchased the Eungedup wetlands, a region that provides a unique opportunity to preserve endangered wildlife such as the Australasian Bittern.
With global numbers of this waterbird estimated to be 2500 and only 150 in Western Australia, providing a wetland where both predators and water levels can be controlled provides optimum conditions for the survival of the Bittern into the future.
