A decision to purchase UltraWhite genetics in 2012 continues to pay dividends for Kulin producers Brian and Elle Bowey and their children, Tom, Will and Claire, who were announced the WAMMCO Producer of the Month winners for June.
Ten years on and after winning their second WAMMCO Producer of the Month title, Brian and Elle continue to push the possibilities of the breed with their joint vision to produce an elite lamb product that meets and exceeds the consumers expectations every time.
Unlike many in the district, livestock make a big component of the Bowey's operation.
A decision to move away from high input crops such as canola and hay has resulted in a business structure 55 per cent crop to 45pc livestock.
Their cropping program in 2023 consists of wheat and barley across 1665 hectares.
Productive pastures play a key role in the success of the Kulin operation.
The introduction of vetch two years ago is a game changer with 400ha sown this year.
Not only is it of high quality, the bulky, erect growth and its ability to keep growing even in cold conditions gives it a huge advantage over previously sown clover.
These days it is incorporated into the cropping program where it is used as a break crop while fixing nitrogen for the future.
They also harvest 40ha of vetch purely for seed requirements.
The standard program includes sowing at 35-40kg/ha with 100kg/ha of super potash.
The sheep then graze the vetch before a Targa herbicide controls any grasses or cereals.
By mid-September, the vetch is 'nuked', leaving behind a high quality weed free pasture.
Mr Bowey said you simply can't match the value of organic nitrogen.
The Boweys carefully select their UltraWhite rams from Dawson and Greta Bradford's Hillcroft Farm stud at Popanyinning.
Critical to the Bowey's purchases is a focus on Australian Sheep Breeding Values and they want their rams to have above average growth and eye muscle depth as well as a high intramuscular fat figure.
Intramuscular fat, or often referred to as the marbling of the meat, is a key component in producing elite quality lamb and both Brian and Elle believe that growers will soon be rewarded for producing the top-grade product.
Part of the success of running a shedding operation is the opportunity to manage an accelerated breeding program with ewes joined three times within two years.
The program starts with ewe lambs being joined at close to 60kg and eight to 10 months of age.
Under favourable conditions, the young ewes mark 70pc lambs and as the ewes increase in age, the reproductive performance continues to improve.
In 2022/23, the 2171 ewes produced 3381 lambs at 155pc.
The majority of the UltraWhite wether lambs go to Katanning straight off pasture with Mr Bowey stating the UltraWhite lambs traditionally dress between two to four per cent higher than breeds previous run on the property.
The lambs don't require mulesing or crutching, and Mr Bowey is looking forward to when his entire flock contains the short tail gene which will remove the need to tail dock.
On top of the UltraWhite lambs, the Boweys also purchase store lambs for finishing in their feedlot.
Central to the feedlot operation is the use of a DE Engineers automatic sheep feeder which provides 26 metres of trough space.
With a 25 tonne field bin at the end of the sheep feeder, the troughing can provide feeding space for up to 1000 lambs across two pens.
All lambs are weighed into the feedlot and split up into 5kg weight ranges.
Ms Bowey prefers entry weights of greater than 40kg and is constantly monitoring performance separating the "bullies" and "shy feeders".
Nothing leaves the farm if it's not weighed and Ms Bowey said that with well-trained lambs, she can push 400 lambs per hour through the three-way Pratley auto draft scales with just her and her dog.
