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 →

Phillip became accredited as an Assessor for the Dohne Merino breed of sheep in 2004 and was widely respected for his adherence to strict standards of conformation and type. He was honoured by the Australian Dohne Breeders Association at a dinner in March 2025. Phillip was almost the classic definition of stoic. He had a terrible year health-wise this year, yet only a few weeks ago when we asked him how he was going his response was this: I’m still upright and breathing. It was good to see him encourage young people in the sheep industry, including his own granddaughters Georgia and Maddie. He will be missed by many people who had come to respect him. Continue reading →