Karbullah
What’s been happening on the Jump up at Billa Billa
For Sale: Grade Rams - Quality For Your Breeding
Are you coming up to joining and realise that you need a couple extra rams or missed out on previous sales? Don’t worry we’ve got you covered! With only a small selection of grade & reserve rams available.
Key features of our Rams include:
Superior wool quality with high fleece weights
Strong, healthy conformation for optimal breeding success.
Excellent proven genetic background for improved flock performance
Robust and adaptable to a range of farming environments
Low WEC’s & High fertility
If you would like more information including pricing and data please don't hesitate to reach out. We would be more than happy to arrange viewings or discuss the specific of the available rams.
Thank you for considering Karbullah Poll Merinos for your breeding program.
Please contact Mark Murphy on 0427 761 739 or reply to this email. karbullah5@bigpond.com
Keep your eye out as we will also have some surplus preg tested in lamb stud ewes for sale in around May too
Weaners on a cloudy morning
Lambs! From birth to weaning.
We’ve had another successful year of lambing and weaning at Karbullah.
From scanning ewes to lamb marking, we recorded a total mob lamb loss of just 8%. Given that Meat & Livestock Australia reports average losses of 17% for singles and 30% for twins. We must be doing something right and are confident that our management practices and genetics are making a positive impact.
This year, we saw fewer multiples in maiden ewes but an abundance in older ewes, who performed exceptionally well.
We also joined 100 young ewes that were scanned in lamb; however, unfortunately, they suffered significant losses due to heavy predation especially from wild dogs.
We strongly recommend vaccinating ewes before lambing and lambs at marking. According to Zoetis, vaccinating ewes four weeks prior to lambing allows maternal antibodies to transfer into the colostrum. When lambs consume colostrum within the first 48 hours, they develop an immune response that protects them against key diseases for 6–10 weeks. However, it’s important to avoid administering the first vaccine dose too early, as it may interfere with maternal antibodies.
Challengers
Sadly, we had a challenging year with pests. Karbullah experienced its first wild dog, which managed to thrive in the Jump Ups for several months.
This has been a stark reminder of the importance of staying proactive with pest management programs. Despite our best efforts, these cunning predators still find a way through—resulting in absolute carnage!
On a positive note, we made an interesting discovery: it appears that wild dogs and other predators work as a team to attack lambs in their paddock environment.
Photos collected of predator
What’s New
New additions
Mark & Vicki came home in October, 2024 with some new handsome (and cute) additions from Glenwood Merinos, leading SRS Stud, Wellington, NSW.
Three cracking rams purchased from their annual sale, set to enhance our sire lineup for the 2025 joining season. We’re eager to see how they perform with our ewes! Pictured is Lot 60.
They also brought home an adorable new recruit—Daisy! We have no doubt she’ll be a fantastic addition to our working team.
EID now in affect.
As of January the 1st 2025 sheep & goats are required to have electronic tags. Not only do they help with traceability of movements but also help you track your sheep’s performance from the data collected. See the weight gains, lambing records, weaning details. And endless opportunities.
Being a member of SRS® Genetics, you can order EID (Electronic Identification) tags from SRS® - https://srsgenetics.com.au/order-srs-ear-tags/ at reduced price.
This instantly identifies your animals to the market advantages of mules free, sustainably bred, meeting all the principles & standards of an SRS bred sheep.
Feel free to contact us on how we use the EID in our management program. To improve, we need to assess performance, and measure the traits you using in your product.
This collection of data allows us collect, evaluate and assist in the decision process to increasing the performance of our genetics admin@srsgenetics.com.au
More on what’s been happening.
Getting ready to join ewes
Each year, Norm Smith from Glenwood Merinos assists us in selecting the most suitable sires for individually joining each ewe, including maidens.
This is a diligent two-day process where we physically assess the rams, review their breeding data, and analyse their Australian Sheep Breeding Values (ASBVs). For older sires, we also evaluate their fleece quality and the performance of their progeny from previous joinings.
Every ewe is individually assessed to ensure the right sire pairing based on data, wool quality, and frame structure. This year, we streamlined the process by pre-sorting ewes into wool and frame groups before Norm’s arrival. Maidens were classified on the day using all collected data. This approach significantly improved efficiency—perhaps next year, we can complete the process in just one day.
Building Worm Resilience
As part of our ongoing focus on worm resilience, we removed five ewes during classing due to worm burdens— our drenching program for the season.
Our 265 blue-tag maiden ewes have successfully endured the summer and continue to thrive without a drench since weaning 10 months ago. To remain in our breeding flock, ewes must demonstrate the ability to sustain themselves without drenching as adults. Any ewe that cannot handle worm burdens is removed, drenched, and placed into our terminal mob—we never sell these animals as restockers.
Young sire program.
The Young Sire Program (YSP) identifies and distributes high-performing young sires across multiple SRS studs, accelerating genetic progress within the industry.
Selection Criteria for Accepted Sires
Sires included in the program are carefully selected based on several key criteria:
Genetic Diversity – Where possible, sires are chosen for their low genetic relationship to previously used rams, ensuring diversity within the program.
Index Value – Rams with higher index values are prioritized, as they are more likely to be widely adopted by the industry.
Age – Younger sires are preferred, as they are more likely to influence future breeding.
The program is overseen by the Genetics Committee, which operates on a rotating selection system. Each year, three studs contribute one young sire for selection and semen collection. In alternating years, additional sires from outside the SRS Genetics network are included, further broadening the genetic base.
The Young Sire Program plays a crucial role in benchmarking the genetic potential of SRS-bred rams, ensuring continuous improvement in Merino and dual-purpose flocks across Australia.
The benefits of participating in the Young Sire Program
Accelerates the rate of genetic progress within breeding groups.
Ensures only high-merit young sires are used, all of which undergo genomic testing.
Improves the accuracy of breeding values by strengthening flock linkage.
Provides the most efficient method for testing new genetic lines.
Encourages a collaborative approach to genetic advancement.
Facilitates communication and networking between studs, fostering industry-wide improvement.
Lessons learnt from other Sheep Breeding Groups
Success is a team effort—collaboration is key.
Competition within the group leads to failure—progress comes from working together.
To move forward, you must be willing to share, test, and discard genetics as needed.
Strength in numbers— Working together as a pack gets results.
Genetic improvement is a long-term process—expect to win some and lose some along the way.
True impact is visible after at least two generations.
A strict no disrespectful behaviour policy must be upheld.
Check your stud breeder ego at the door.
By fostering knowledge-sharing, collaboration, and strategic breeding, the Young Sire Program continues to drive genetic excellence in the Australian sheep industry.
We'd like to thank Dr. Alex Bell, whose insights provided much of the valuable information featured here.
On the Industry Front
This year, we have nominated Sire 6013652023230501 for inclusion in the 2025 MLA Resource Flock, a ram we plan to use extensively in our upcoming joining program. He brings to the trial exceptional fibre quality, featuring soft bundling, lustre, and excellent fibre structure, combined with strong muscle and fat ASBVs, making him a well-rounded genetic prospect. Learn more about him on our Sires page.
We have rams in trials already performing very well. See below –
Results of New England Sire Evaluation – 2023 drop results coming out in January, 2025. Karbullah is one of two studs to excel in Visual Traits. These results further reinforce Karbullah genetics as a leading choice for long-term productivity and structural soundness and that our hard work in this area is kicking goals.
New England Merino Sire Evaluation Australian Merino Sire Evaluation Association (AMSEA) trials provide the opportunity for objective comparisons to be made between rams from different studs by evaluating their progeny for sheep type, structure, wool production and carcase traits. The progeny are all run together in the same environmental conditions with all male progeny marked. The New England site has a long and proud history of conducting sire evaluations, commencing in 1990. The New England is a unique summer dominant high rainfall environment that really challenges wool quality, sheep conformation and parasite resistance, providing excellent data for sire entrants. This is an accredited sire evaluation program run under the rigorous design, recording and data evaluation protocols of AMSEA.
Site Breeding Objective The Breeding objective of the host flock is to maximise fleece weight while maintaining micron and continue to produce a hardy sheep that is fly strike resistant, resilient to internal parasites and is structurally sound.
Amazing efforts!
Stephen (Muddy) Mudford at Collie on the start of October getting a world record. Well done team Parkdale, Don and Pam Mudford and Parkdale SRS Poll Merinos on the quality of wethers helping to accomplish this amazing World record - 421 wethers in 9 hours - record for 25 years.
No Time For Dosing!
Things coming & some highly recommended videos!!
Weaning calves
Joining ewes
Shearing
All about our industry for future- Improving Competitiveness Webinar with Dr Alex Ball link: https://youtu.be/FJrMBYSmBjE from SRS Genetics website https://srsgenetics.com.au/media/
Media - Links to Video’s – Clients at Winton, QLD and their journey
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