Production plan: Karma Lamb choose Suffolk Sheep for the lamb. The Reason that this breed has identified is due to number of traits that it has been chosen for breeding, these include:
- Adaptability: For all environments. The breed thrive in wet conditions with its hard black feet, having immunity to foot diseases. Suffolk's are also outstanding in the dry areas where the high fertility rams work well even in hot summer conditions.
- Resistance to Parasites: Clean face, crutch and points minimising fly strike. Hardy constitution gives high resistance to internal parasites.
- Fertility: Owing to tremendous libido and greater activity, ram to ewe percentage can be reduced. More lambs can be dropped in a shorter period. Less rams needed, thus less management time. Suffolk rams are not only very active workers, but are renowned for longevity, thus reducing replacement to a minimum.
- Ease of Lambing: Lambs are born with narrow heads and smooth shoulders and are very strong at birth minimising lambing problems, loss of life and husbandry supervision.
- The Ideal Cross breeder: Suffolk Sires are ideal for maiden ewes, merinos and first cross ewes alike. Produce the ideal lamb for today's market.
- Early Maturity: Under favourable conditions Suffolk lambs mature for market as early as 9 to 12 weeks, or can be carried on to heavy weights.
- Quality Carcase: The Suffolk lamb carcase is full of choice lean meat (Suffolk n.d.).
The farmland identified by Karma Lamb is in Hesket, a pristine region of Central Victoria, a plot of 38Ha has become available with existing farmhouse, stockyard and sheds. This region is sought-after for its rich, fertile and productive soil. As a result, it is some of the best lamb producing regions in the world. It experiences high rainfall, creating high quality pastures which our Karma lambs feed on. Karma Lamb is committed to preserving the farming land with sustainable farming practices to ensure longevity for future generations (Aussie farmer direct 2014). The average annual rainfall in Hesket, Victoria is 800mm (BOM 2014). The size of land available has been calculated to allow for a flock of 275 ewes to be grazed on Perennial Rye grass-subterranean clover mix which is an excellent Sheep Pasture and hey as a supplementary feed (Croker and Butler 2009). Karma Lamb proposes to engage in a terminal sire programme for Suffolk lamb. Intensive breeding of Suffolk ewes has been proven to have a success rate of 150% lambing, and breeding can be undertaken 3 times in 2 years, Karma Lamb intends to pursue the intensive breeding approach to ensure maximum return on investment can be achieved.