ON-PROPERTY auctions for both bulls and rams have given excellent results as keen buyers ignore the absence of spring rain and look at bright future prospects.
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A few highlights reported in very recent weeks:
- Kerin Poll Merinos at Yeoval sold every one of about 360 rams and 86 sons of their Moorundie Park sire averaged $3365. He deserves a pat.
- Coddington Poll at Cumnock sold a lot of quality rams to our district.
- Winyar Stud at Canowindra sold every ram offered and averaged $3081. Lots of white wool, length of staple, body stretch and seven Bathurst buyers.
Closing soon
THE State Government’s firearms amnesty will finish in a couple of weeks and those of us who have an unwanted unregistered gun or rifle should take advantage of this “no questions asked” opportunity.
Please ring your local police station for directions before you deliver.
Remembering Col
THE recent death of respected Bathurstian Colin Dean has revived many memories of a busy working life.
Col and his wife Hazel were cereal farm and shearing contractors for all of their working lifetime and former employees would agree that the Deans always ran a quality operation and were top-notch employers.
Col farmed the land where Windradyne, Stewart and Westpoint localities now stand until Bathurst council and developers subdivided it for housing allotments.
Dry spring tips
OUR seasonal break is still refusing to happen and pastoral conditions worsen by the day.
Reports of ewes walking away from lambs are depressing and grain or hay feeding has to be done carefully.
Composite and crossbred ewes are always exceptional mothers and some strains of merinos are also great mothers.
Other strains are not and low marking percentages are common.
In a failed spring, it is important for all of us to attempt to rear as many lambs as possible as they are the future of most sheep operations.
Strategies that have been successful in past years may be of use:
- Don’t mules lambs at marking; postpone the job until early next winter.
- Earmark lambs in the cradle but leave tagging until weaning. Tags cost 40c each and not every lamb will reach weaning.
- Careful producers give big lambs a first drench at about eight to 10 weeks. Take care if drenching and don’t use Rametin in cradles.
- Lambs that are grain trained with mum usually wean fairly well at about 10 weeks.
Good indication
AN ABC Radio listener recently claimed 48 frosts during winter 2017 in his district.
Residents across our district have probably given up counting our frosts, but we all appreciate the odd warmer day and look forward to the first burst of thunderstorm.
Long-time spring indicators have been running well for about three weeks and may be the forerunner of a spring turnaround.
Please keep your prayer beads handy.
Hard work begins
COUNCIL elections are over.
Congratulations to the councillors who have been elected to councils across the tablelands.
A big win in the Orange mayoral election was a show of faith in Reg Kidd’s ability and I wish him well.
Bathurst Regional Council has a nice cross-section of experience and new faces. A number of them have recognised business ability and most possess obvious people management skills.
Tigers’ time
ORANGE CYMS’ Group 10 premiership ended this year’s hopes of an Oberon victory.
I know that the Oberon Tigers carried the hopes of lots of people across the district and many of us old-timers have great memories of Oberon teams of past years.
Next year should be the year of the Tiger.
Diary dates
- Thursday, September 14: Kildara Glen Rams; Aussie Whites, Borders, Dorsets at Bathurst Showground.
- Monday, September 18: Genanegie Merinos on-property at Peak Hill.
- Friday, September 22: Tattykeel flock Dorsets at Black Springs.
- Friday, September 22: Bella Lana Merinos at Dripstone.
- Saturday, October 14: Trunkey Creek Show. Please save a couple of fleeces.
- Sunday, October 29: Rydal Gymkhana. Phone 6337 5131 for details.
Laugh lines
AT their golden wedding anniversary, he said there was nothing he wouldn’t do for his wife and there was nothing she wouldn’t do for him.
“And that’s how it’s been since 1967; we’ve done nothing for each other,” he said.
***
“There’s not much difference between a loo seat and an anniversary,” she said. “My husband misses both.”
***
He’s such a crook that he’d steal the harness off a nightmare.
