We are now at the end of April; July will be upon us before we know it. The Association’s Show Committee is underway in getting ready for this year’s Australian Sheep and Wool Show.  The Show and Education Committee would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge and thank our sponsors that have come onboard this year; Elders, Shearwell, Nutrien Ag Solutions, Riverina Wool Testers, Australian Merino Exports, Fox & Lillie Rural, Ellis & Nuttall & Co, Ethical Outback Wool, Woven Optics, Heiniger Australia, AWI and MLA. Continue reading →

The Inaugural NSW Dohne Prime Lamb Competition is moving along really well. On Wednesday the 25 February we had 26 schools receive their 5 Dohne wether lambs to kick start the competition. All lambs were shorn, drenched for worms and lice, vaccinated and tagged with a Shearwell visual tag. Thank you to Shearwell for donating these visual tags. Gundagai Meat Processors will now do two separate small kills for these lambs. Students will select two wether lambs the week of the 6 to 10 July to be transported to Gundagai Meat Processors on the 13 July for slaughter and carcass data in readiness for competition day. We would like to thanks the Currey Family, Walgett NSW once again for supplying the lambs, it is greatly appreciated. Continue reading →

The ADBA Council met for our annual Face-to-face meeting from 9 to 11 February 2026 at Mawson Lakes, South Australia. All councillors were able to attend: Sandy Pye attended for the first time in person, providing valuable input. Mitchell Applegate and Daniel Pumpa contributed via Zoom. Peta Bradley also attended in person for a Sheep Genetics update. Continue reading →

Continued drought conditions in South Australia and Victoria colour my perspective as I look at the past year. The decline in sheep numbers progresses and low wool prices makes it hard for the Dohne Merino to hold market share. The shining light at the moment is lamb and mutton prices allowing Dohne Merinos to rise above traditional wooled sheep.  I believe that the best way forward is to rely on the input of the next generation whose expertise lies in social media and new technology. We need their guidance to make the most of the opportunities available to reach the sheep breeders of the future. Continue reading →

The year has gone fast and Christmas is on us. The Australian Sheep and Wool Show in Bendigo was a great success again with our new position being well received by all. Well done to all participating studs and congratulations to the winning studs. It was great to see a great lineup of Dohne’s. Thanks again to all who helped with the set up and running of the show, we hope to see you all next year, hopefully with a few new studs. Again, next year the ADBA will have one shearing date for classes at the ASWS. The Shearing date will be the first week of April (1st to 7th April 2026). Continue reading →

Hello everyone, well another year has flown by, it seems the state’s seasonal conditions have not really changed from this time last year. Conditions in the south have improved slightly, (but it could be a long summer), the northeast again have had a well above average year with the west of the state very dry again. The sheep and lamb market has skyrocketed this year with prices at an all-time high. Those that have been lucky enough to hold numbers have enjoyed the ride, let’s hope these prices stick around. The 2025 Dohne ram selling period has had strong results with 476 rams offered, 454 sold to a 95% clearance. The top price this year of $8,000 was recorded for the Pye family from Calga, Coonamble. Macquarie topped at $5,500 and Gullendah was next at $5,000. Macquarie topped the highest average of $2,960 plus 100% clearance. They were closely followed by Gullendah with an average of $2,940 and another full clearance. The States overall average of $2,236 was up $400 on 2024. Continue reading →