Global Ovine's NEW 5 Game Changers

[easyram1]

As many on the Forum will know in 2015 Global Ovine wrote and we had printed a small Book whose first edition was called " "MAXIMISING PROFITS AT MINIMUM COST - a commercial sheep farmers guide." Over the last 5 years we have given away 2000 copies of what for many has become the go to book on how to start rotational grazing and how to make general changes all to create a more profitable sheep business.
After running out of copies we decided to do a totally new and updated version, which GO has rewritten over recent weeks. In an effort to go Hi Tech there is now a digital version called "The 5 Proven Game Changers" which can be found on our brand new website at www.easy-rams.co.uk As a totally new feature Rhidian Jones, farm consultant and former SAC Livestock specialist , has costed the 5 Game Changers in a UK setting. If there are glitches on the website I apologise and please let me know asap so we can sort them as this is still work in progress!

 

[Tim W]

@easyram1
He missed the obvious game changer of no wool

 

[dogandstick]

I have a copy of the original booklet. Fascinating reading. Wish I’d had this knowledge in my younger days.

 

[andybk]

@easyram1
He missed the obvious game changer of no wool

as a New Zealander i expect thats a lower priority than here , their grades and quality of shear means a better margin .

 

[Tim W]

as a New Zealander i expect thats a lower priority than here , their grades and quality of shear means a better margin .

costed the 5 Game Changers in a UK setting.

Are the Kiwis getting rich off wool?
Nice new website @easyram1

 

[Devil's advocate]

I'm struggling with the new web site.

I click on a drop box so the list appears but then click on one of the list the list just disappears, leaving me on the home page.

 

[Tim W]

I'm struggling with the new web site.

I click on a drop box so the list appears but then click on one of the list the list just disappears, leaving me on the home page.

Works for me

 

[easyram1]

I'm struggling with the new web site.

I click on a drop box so the list appears but then click on one of the list the list just disappears, leaving me on the home page.

I have asked our Techy guy ( actually his name is Dave and he has a day job of being a transport manager for a haulage company!! ) but anyway over recent weeks he has beetled away bring us up to date I hope. I will see what he says. Was this on a particular tab>? and are you on a mobile or desktop? That is 100% of all my Techy knowledge displayed now

 

[Devil's advocate]

I have asked our Techy guy ( actually his name is Dave and he has a day job of being a transport manager for a haulage company!! ) but anyway over recent weeks he has beetled away bring us up to date I hope. I will see what he says. Was this on a particular tab>? and are you on a mobile or desktop? That is 100% of all my Techy knowledge displayed now

laptop using google chrome.

My software may need updating but works well on similar web sites.

I did gather you are now offering different strains of Texel for maternal or terminal breeding, I would like to have read more. Also the price list drop box gave me the same problem.

Our tech guy is a manager at fruit & veg wholesaler, large company though & he is in charge of a big computer system.

 

[Tim W]

That is 100% of all my Techy knowledge displayed now

We are all suitably impressed

 

[easyram1]

laptop using google chrome.

My software may need updating but works well on similar web sites.

I did gather you are now offering different strains of Texel for maternal or terminal breeding, I would like to have read more. Also the price list drop box gave me the same problem.

Our tech guy is a manager at fruit & veg wholesaler, large company though & he is in charge of a big computer system.

I will pass it on. Cant raise him tonight but I am sure we will get it sorted in morning

 

[Norfolk Hill Farmer]

Can't download the leaflet ( keeps saying error forbidden) and the drop down boxes don't drop anything down on my very old iPad.

 

[easyram1]

Can't download the leaflet ( keeps saying error forbidden) and the drop down boxes don't drop anything down on my very old iPad.

I will try and get you sorted in morning

 

[unlacedgecko]

Works fine for me on the iPad.

 

[neilo]

as a New Zealander i expect thats a lower priority than here , their grades and quality of shear means a better margin .

But those kiwi genetics that have arrived here, from whatever source, don’t seem to have much different wool to a lot of our own lowland breeds, certainly not enough to make it worth feck all more than ours. Romneys no doubt produce more value of wool, but only by virtue of having ridiculous amounts of it (with all the extra costs that entails), but price per kg isn’t much different.
I can’t imagine many kiwi farmers are getting rich off wool these days either.

 

[Global ovine]

But those kiwi genetics that have arrived here, from whatever source, don’t seem to have much different wool to a lot of our own lowland breeds, certainly not enough to make it worth feck all more than ours. Romneys no doubt produce more value of wool, but only by virtue of having ridiculous amounts of it (with all the extra costs that entails), but price per kg isn’t much different.
I can’t imagine many kiwi farmers are getting rich off wool these days either.

Price per kilo depends largely on micron.
Strong wool (eg. of strong end Romney) over 37 microns has progressively decreased in price so profit (total value minus harvesting costs) now represents between 14 - 18% as shearing rates took a 20%+ rise 6 months ago.
Finer strong wools including most Romney type lambs/hogget wools of 31 - 35 microns can vary in price depending on when the Chinese buyers enter and leave the market, but their lower weights usually mean the profit margin ranges from zero for lambs wool (has always been a management exercise) to around 20% of receipt value.
Total wool returns for strong wools now represent just under 15% of total income. This % has been driven down by price reductions and the relative increase in meat returns, ie, the doubling of lamb output per ewe over the last 30 years.

The fine wool and mid micron wool growers still receive a very worthwhile contribution to their total income.
When cattle and deer returns are removed, fine wool growers growers receive about 40 - 55% of their income from wool if it is at the fine end for next to the skin apparel ware (13 - 18 microns). Stronger Merino and fine Halfbred (19 - 23 microns) receive around 15 -20% less due to lowered price although higher wool weights, but relatively more from lamb returns in numbers of lambs and days to slaughter. The main market being outside apparel and socks.
Mid micron growers (24 - 30 microns) receive around 25% of their profit directly from wool production. Although price has been rather static over recent years, their profit component from lamb returns has grown due to price cycles and development of hill country grazing management.

Price per kilo of similar wools between NZ and UK depends largely on wool quality and preparation of NZ wools. There is not breeds carrying pigmented fibre and gross medulation in NZ as is common in the UK.

Shedding sheep are appearing in NZ. However very few flocks are found in commercial numbers. They are becoming more popular in lifestyle blocks.

There is a big push by strong wool breeders (eg. Romneys and composites) to reduce wool micron from 35 - 37 in adults to low 30s to restore some income relativity. This is regarded as easier than breeding for shedding, considering wool break (even fibre diameter to prevent fleece cotting) has been a breeding goal for 150 years.

 

[Norfolk Hill Farmer]

Works fine for me on the iPad.

I think my iPad is one of the first to be made, I believe we bought it sometime around 1983 probably got the wrong valves or something.

 

[Poorbuthappy]

Price per kilo depends largely on micron.
Strong wool (eg. of strong end Romney) over 37 microns has progressively decreased in price so profit (total value minus harvesting costs) now represents between 14 - 18% as shearing rates took a 20%+ rise 6 months ago.
Finer strong wools including most Romney type lambs/hogget wools of 31 - 35 microns can vary in price depending on when the Chinese buyers enter and leave the market, but their lower weights usually mean the profit margin ranges from zero for lambs wool (has always been a management exercise) to around 20% of receipt value.
Total wool returns for strong wools now represent just under 15% of total income. This % has been driven down by price reductions and the relative increase in meat returns, ie, the doubling of lamb output per ewe over the last 30 years.

The fine wool and mid micron wool growers still receive a very worthwhile contribution to their total income.
When cattle and deer returns are removed, fine wool growers growers receive about 40 - 55% of their income from wool if it is at the fine end for next to the skin apparel ware (13 - 18 microns). Stronger Merino and fine Halfbred (19 - 23 microns) receive around 15 -20% less due to lowered price although higher wool weights, but relatively more from lamb returns in numbers of lambs and days to slaughter. The main market being outside apparel and socks.
Mid micron growers (24 - 30 microns) receive around 25% of their profit directly from wool production. Although price has been rather static over recent years, their profit component from lamb returns has grown due to price cycles and development of hill country grazing management.

Price per kilo of similar wools between NZ and UK depends largely on wool quality and preparation of NZ wools. There is not breeds carrying pigmented fibre and gross medulation in NZ as is common in the UK.

Shedding sheep are appearing in NZ. However very few flocks are found in commercial numbers. They are becoming more popular in lifestyle blocks.

There is a big push by strong wool breeders (eg. Romneys and composites) to reduce wool micron from 35 - 37 in adults to low 30s to restore some income relativity. This is regarded as easier than breeding for shedding, considering wool break (even fibre diameter to prevent fleece cotting) has been a breeding goal for 150 years.

Interesting stuff.
I'm guessing your profit figure doesn't allow anything for crutching or other associated wool costs - fly control or even tailing?

 

[Global ovine]

Interesting stuff.
I'm guessing your profit figure doesn't allow anything for crutching or other associated wool costs - fly control or even tailing?

A financial analysis takes all expenses as well as incomes into account, or it is not contributing to profit. I tried to show that fleece wool wasn't totally nullified by harvesting costs and that wool production is still significant to many sectors of the NZ wool industry, despite the value of stronger wools declining and the value of meat production increasing in real terms thus skewing the relativity of income streams from the once favourable 50:50 of 35 years ago for our strong wool farmers.

When it comes to game changing systems, removing wool would probably rank similar to lambing hoggs in profit generation. Neither would hold a candle to growing more grass, better grass and having genetics that produce more off that grass.

An additional comment; there is more effort put into changing fleece type in NZ than removing wool growth from the species. Programmes such as breeding ethical sheep (no tail docking, no dags, no drenching requirement and no low value fleece components, such as bellies, crutch wool and lower leg margins) are gaining more attention as the next step in reducing costs and producing sheep that don't have to be surgically altered to suit the system, which is becoming more of a problem for our consumers and not just those in Europe.

 

[easyram1]

I think my iPad is one of the first to be made, I believe we bought it sometime around 1983 probably got the wrong valves or something.

Dave is saying that the problem will be" down to the outdated software running on the old ipad". He also said he has checked it out on Firefox,Chrome and Microsoft Edge and they all seem OK.
We are having hard copies printed in the next couple of weeks and if you or anyone else wants one of those please send me a message via the contact page on the website or just pm me details here. Gosh I am really getting into this Hi Tech mallarky1