Sounness family, Denbarker wins WAMMCO producer of the month award

Farm Weekly 16 July 2023

“MEASUREMENT is critical,” “information is power” and “if we can measure it, we can do something about it” were key catchphrases used by WAMMCO’s May Producer of the Month, Greg Sounness.

Mr Sounness, his wife Linda and his parents, Robert and Pam farm 607 hectares (1500 acres) at Denbarker.

Denvale Dohne principals Greg Sounness (left) and Robert Sounness (right), Denbarker, with Nutrien Livestock Mt Barker livestock agent, Jarrad Hubbard. The Sounness family was WAMMCOs May Producer of the Month.

The property was purchased in 1969 and was originally worked by Robert’s father and his brother before Robert took over in 1979.

The property is set up as a grazing business with Mr Sounness currently running 1750 ewes, 330 allocated to the Denvale Dohne stud, 950 commercial Dohne ewes and 470 commercial Dohne ewes joined to White Suffolk rams as well as running 80 Red Angus breeders.

He pregnancy scans all ewes and typically achieves a lambing potential of 130 to 140 per cent.

With a third of the farm still bush, Mr Sounness has split the remainder of the property into small paddocks for added control.

This permits smaller mob sizes at lambing, with all mobs less than 200 head and multiple bearing ewes being allocated the better feed and shelter paddocks available on the farm.

In this farming system, lamb survival is key to profitability.

The Denvale Dohne stud commenced in 2002 following Mr Sounness’s exposure to the South African breed when working on Rex Parsons’, Jerramungup property.

The strong maternal characteristics (mothering capacity, good temperament, and fecundity) along with quality white wool on a plain body meant the Dohne breed ticked all the boxes.