Glen Holme Dohne Stud is built on many years of breeding experience. Working with the key Dohne traits, our focus is to breed animals with a balance between wool, meat, fertility as well as structural soundness and good temperament. These key profit drivers are important for our clients as well as our own flock.

Our sheep are paddock run and finished to allow the genetic do-ability to shine, rather than the environmental effect of the animals eating ability and food supply. This also means reduced transition shock when moving your new sheep from Glen Holme to your property and expected to adjust and perform in a new environment.

Glen Holme make and record many observations and take many measurements throughout the animal’s lifetime. These are recorded and analysed both on property and wider through Sheep Genetics, to assess the genetic performance and merit, and have confidence in understanding the traits/genetics that will be passed to the progeny.

Glen Holme employs strategic use of advanced breeding technologies and tools (artificial insemination, embryo transfer and MateSel) to maximise the number of elite and top performing young animals and future generations of breeding ewes.

Glen Holme continually assesses the animals through each stage from birth, marking, weaning, crutching and shearing to ensure structural soundness and stability of type. In addition, an independent classer assesses the flock for registration – a requirement of the Australian Dohne Breeders Association which we are active members of.

Not all rams born on the property are offered for sale, especially where they do not satisfy our standards. The rams presented for Auction are offered in the belief that they are sound, productive, and fertile and fit for work.

Breeding Dohnes is a major part of the business at Glen Holme, together with broadacre cropping. As such, we look after our animals treating them with care. At the same time, our animals have been bred to be easy care, and self-sufficient which is required at key times during our cropping calendar.

We utilise genetics and natural resistance through body and wool type to minimise flystrike, assessing also breech cover and breech wrinkle, and seek both resistance and tolerance to worms. We use pain medication when docking tails and have ceased mulesing. Using these practices we have noticed that there are no longer significant production losses or regression in the lambs and noted that recovery time is reduced. Wool markets are recognising the public’s attitudes to animal ethics and treatment, and are offering premiums. The market influence is likely to become greater into the future as retailers are more aware of their consumers’ demands regarding animal ethics.