LAMBPRO PURCHASES HILLCROFT FARM POLL DORSET STUD

One of Australia’s leading Poll Dorset studs Hillcroft Farms has been dispersed with LAMBPRO purchasing a major portion of the stud. Hillcroft Farms has been one of the highest performing flocks in Australia, and one of the most influential studs on the Poll Dorset breed over the past four decades through semen sales and stud ram sales. In addition the stud was a major supplier of flock rams to the Western Australian lamb industry, with flock ram averages often topping the state.

The sale was conducted by Landmark privately with the flock being split into two groups based on market suitability. LAMBPRO purchased 450 Poll Dorset ewes that rank in the top 10% for Trade Dollar Index, with the remaining leaner ewes purchased by Western Australian Stud Curlew Creek for the Western Australian export lamb market.

LAMBPRO Principal Tom Bull stated, “To be able to buy a stud like Hillcroft Farms is a once in a lifetime opportunity. It will allow us to expand our Poll Dorset operation significantly with 1700 Poll Dorset and Tradie ewes to lamb down in 2014. The splitting of the stud worked well, we didn’t want the leaner ewes as most of our clients are targeting 18-24kg.”

An added incentive was the recent performance of Hillcroft Farms in the Sheep CRC and MLA Information Nucleus. “Few could argue that the Hillcroft Farms sheep outperformed all other Dorset’s on average for eating quality. They had some of the highest ranked rams for marbling, but the exciting thing was these are also high ranked sheep for eye muscle. With the antagonism between eating and muscle, it makes these sheep extremely value to the markets our clients sell into” Tom remarked.

The first crop of rams will be for sale in November 2014. During the LAMBPRO 2013 Selection Day the Australian Poll Dorset flock ram record was broken several times. The LAMBPRO Dorset offering will be increased to 400 for 2014 in addition to 400 Primeline Maternal rams. By increasing the higher end of the flock we aim to offer 400 rams that average in the top 10% for trade index.

“With the purchase of Hillcroft Farms the LAMBPRO clients will be well and truly at the forefront of the industry to producing high growth, high yielding Dorset lambs with outstanding eating quality” remarked Tom Bull, LAMBPRO.