March Newsletter 2025

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Councils’ Face to Face Report
It was great to finally get all councillors in the same room for our annual Face to Face meeting in Adelaide in March 2025. The last couple of years this has been coupled with the AMSEA open days and complicated by Covid, making it difficult for our councillors to volunteer their time for three days plus travelling time. Thankyou very much for your commitment to the ADBA. Kaye Butler and Tanya Barton did a great job organizing the venue and the event and of guiding us through the technology and screen searches.
We started off by discussing the current position of the ADBA. Obviously, the current decline in the Dohne Merino type of sheep is affecting stud sales and ADBA membership, but I must emphasize that the recent loss of studs has occurred mainly due to the lack of the next generation to take on the role of either owners or stud managers. Thankfully, we still have an exciting group of young members that in the future must keep our great breed going. The national decline in wool prices and increased shearing costs, at a time of steady demand for meat at good prices has led to a lot of the Merino flock being replaced by shedders. This should place the Dohne Merino breed in a good place to regain market share when the wool price eventually turns. I must admit these are my optimistic thoughts; just needed to get them off my chest.
Now that the Coonong Evaluation and ASWS Feature Breed input have declined the main agenda for Council has been to discuss the joint analysis with the Merino breed under Sheep Genetics (SG). Peta Bradley, Operations Manager Sheep Genetics joined us from lunch-time Monday to present and discuss this issue.  Her contribution to the meeting was invaluable and her paper led us through many areas and her great knowledge of SG created an in-depth discussion.
Other points under consideration were culling percentage and new group measurement systems coming from SG in the near future. These systems may suit the tiered stud system that was also tabled and discussed.
On Tuesday the forum was open to all members.  Allen Kelly and Lauren Philp, and Ike and Eric Ashby were able to attend in person and several more via zoom: I thank them all for their input. Peta delivered her paper again which prompted much SG discussion until lunch-time. Thanks to Peta for her contribution.
After lunch and more general discussion, John Nadin and Daniel Pumpa presented the format for a proposed Dohne Merino prime lamb competition to be run in NSW next year, which will hopefully spread to other states in the future. Details will be available soon.
Don Mills presented the chance of implementation of an ear-tag incentive scheme for stud breeders in conjunction with Shearwell. Further details will be shared as they become available.
It was great that Philip Venning and his daughter Erica were able to join us for the evening meal.
Wednesday started with a Promotions report from Tanya Barton including social media and the progress of this year’s calendar publication.
Next up was the budget, our commitment to investing in the AMSEA evaluation at Coonong and associated expenditure, has concluded. It yielded some great promotional material and linkage to other AMSEA sites, which will assist greatly with the joint analysis and accurate genomic reporting in the future. The financial commitment to the ASWS is also winding down now that the Feature Breed is concluded.
ASWS 2025 was further discussed. Reminder that the shearing date for entrants is the first week of April. I hope that as many members as possible can get together at Bendigo in July to promote our breed and have input at the AGM which will be held in our marquee at the show.
Thanks again to everyone who attended and contributed to the Face to Face meeting.
Greg Hall, ADBA President

Back row – Eric Ashby, Darren Gurnett, Ike Ashby and Murray Rogerson
Middle row – Allen Kelly, Lauren Philp, Greg Hall and Lynda Farrow
Front row – Kaye Butler, John Nadin, Peta Bradley and Don Mills

Comprehensive sire evaluation quantifies the Dohne dual purpose advantage 
A comprehensive sire evaluation trial rated as “gold standard” has provided evidence-based data on the Dohne breed’s profitable wool, carcase, reproduction and eating quality traits. 
Evaluated under the Australian Merino Sire Evaluation Association (AMSEA), the three-year Dohne trial benchmarked 12 Dohne sires and two Merino link sires across not only wool and carcase traits but also included new traits of udder and teat size, kilograms of lambs weaned per ewe joined, and intramuscular fat as a component of eating quality. 
Article courtesy of Outcross Media Kim Woods. 
Read full story – Click Here 

Australian Merino Sire Evaluation Association chief executive officer Ben Swain inspecting sheep at the Dohne Sire Evaluation Trial field day at Coonoong Station.

Australian Sheep and Wool Show Update
The 2025 Australian Sheep and Wool Show is fast approaching, and with the success of last year’s Feature Breed we would like to keep the momentum going for 2025.
This year the ADBA has decided to run with one shearing date for classes at the ASWS. The Shearing date will be the first week of April (1^st to 7th April 2025).
Darren Gurnett Convenor, ADBA Show and Education Committee

World Dohne Merino Conference, South Africa
On behalf of Dohne Merino South Africa, it is with great pleasure that we invite you to the Dohne Merino World Conference, to be held from 7 – 13 September 2026, at the Arabella Hotel, in Hermanus, South Africa. This prestigious event promises to bring together Dohne Merino breeders, industry experts, and enthusiasts from across the globe, fostering collaboration, innovation, and excellence in our shared passion.
For formal letter – Click Here
Vaughan Collier, Manager Dohne Merino South Africa