TOUGH conditions faced by farmers in Bremer Bay, Western Australia, have proven the durability of Dohnes to commercial sheep breeder and wool classer, Julie Leenhouwers, seeing wool results exceed expectations. ‘Cardiminup’, sits on approximately 2800 acres right on the coast of Bremer Bay between Albany and Esperance and generally experiences high rainfall with the last couple of years seeing drier, more challenging conditions. Continue reading →

NOEL CLEAR is on track to build his Dohne flock on his property in Bracknell, Tasmania. The traditionally high rainfall region, has presented some breeding challenges in the past with his original flock of Merinos. Mr Clear’s property ‘Gaters’, 1,400 acres 33km southwest of Launceston, Tasmania is a mixed farming operation running Angus cattle, Merino and now Dohne sheep. Continue reading →

AFTER A DROP in the wool market during 2007, commercial breeder and shearer Brad Blackwood looked to change his strategy in sheep. Finding the Dohne to be capable of providing more than just quality wool, the breed made a mark on the productivity of the family operation with its dual-purpose traits. Continue reading →

IT’S NOT just traditional grazing operators that swear by the Dohne, feedlotters are hopping on board the dual-purpose sheep too. South Australia’s Shayne Willmott and his family run a mixed farming operation and a feedlot on 3,000 acres in Manoora, marketing their own Dunira Prime Lamb brand to butchers locally and internationally. Continue reading →

THE DOHNE sheep are hardy animals and continually prove to be the most versatile breed on the market. For commercial breeder Andrew Tunstill, switching to the Dohne has improved the viability of his business, even in the harshest of seasons. Andrew and his veterinarian wife Kirsten Tunstill live near Kalannie in the central wheatbelt of Western Australia. Kirsten stumbled across the breed through her veterinary work and was extremely impressed, telling Andrew to look into them immediately. Continue reading →

"I love the Dohne as they’re tough. We’re pushing our sheep much harder in that we’re shearing twice a year and looking to get 1.3 to 1.4 lambs out of her. They love fibre (roughage) and they’re good doers." Continue reading →

In 2007, Mr Cross was recommended the Dohne breed by his stock agent at the time, who spoke highly of their dual-purpose nature and ability to reap rewards across all areas of production, including high-quality wool, carcass and fertility rates. Mr Cross said, “To start, I bought two rams to try them out and was happy with the lambs, so continued to buy them.” Continue reading →

THE DOHNE sheep is the result of highly selective breeding, which developed a superior dual purpose sheep that commercial breeders Linda Taylor and Tony Wheat swear by. Linda’s family were proud Merino breeders on their 3,000 acres in Callawadda, Victoria since 1950. Linda returned to the property in 1995 after working overseas. They now have a sharefarmer onboard for the rotational cropping enterprise growing canola, wheat, barley and beans. This integrates with their increasing self replacing 18-19 micron Dohne flock. Continue reading →

FOR SHEEP farmers, quality wool is a trait that can’t be sacrificed and the Dohne’s superior white wool makes them a breed that ticks all the boxes. This is the case for Dohne breeder Russell Coad who’s lived on his family’s Barunah Plains property in Victoria his entire life. Continue reading →