Tim Fincham said this year’s sale rams were an outstanding group, with sons of Southdown breed trait leaders in the top five per cent for growth, eye muscle area, fat and marbling.
“We want our Southdowns when crossed with any type of maternal ewe to grow quickly, finishing at four to five months with tight Down’s type skins,” Mr Fincham said.
“This will enable our clients to reap the rewards of trade lambs between 22 and 26kg carcase weights or have the ability to go out to export lambs at the 27 to 30kg carcase weight.
“The modern Southdown has the ability to do this and more, as so many ram breeders are selling half-bred Southdown rams to put the real meat sheep back into their programs.
“The Southdown has the unique factor of tender juicy meat with a naturally finer intramuscular fat (marbling) required for the best eating lamb.”
Mr Fincham said Burando had a core flock of 300 mature Southdown ewes.
“Again this year we have lambed down, tagged and marked 178 per cent of live lambs.”
In the 1970s, the stud selected and imported ewes from Punchbowl in New Zealand.
“These sheep had very high lambing percentages, which most of our flock go back to now,” Mr Fincham said.
“Over the years we have bought the best rams from leading Australian and New Zealand studs, and have spared no expense to get the right rams for our breeding program.”
He said it was a closed flock — continuously accredited free of brucellosis since 1975; an OJD third generation approved, fully vaccinated flock since 2004; and footrot and lice free.
The ram sale will be held on Monday, November 8 from 1pm at the Yea Showgrounds.
For more information, phone Tim Fincham on 0427 871 294 or go to the Fincham’s Burando Southdowns Facebook page.
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