Blyth

Property Name:

Bobacumbola

Location:

RMB 530, Adelong. New South Wales. 2729.

History and People:

Ron and Cheryl Blyth entered the sheep industry in the mid 1980s. With their three children, Michelle, Jonathan and Stephen, they settled at “Bobacumbola”, a 7700 acre property of undulating to hilly country with creek flats of heavy red to granite soils, near Wagga Wagga, New South Wales.

The Blyth family run 1100 stud ewes and 3000 commercial ewes. The stud, Blyth Merinos, was established in the early 1990s. Almost immediately John Pike, the sheep and wool teacher at Riverina TAFE joined them as the stud classer. Mark Ingram is the property manager.

Ron Blyth started as a shearer at 18, having attended a shearing school at the age of 15. Each year, Blyth Merinos and Riverina TAFE hold 3 shearer training schools at “Bobacumbola” - Rob Harris and his colleagues from Riverina TAFE are the instructors.

Sustainable Production:

A unique genetic achievement for sustainable production of Merino sheep in this environment, which is subject to regular “subtropical” challenges of high rainfall (30” annually) with heavy summer storms, is the sheep’s capacity to be high wool producers with snow white wools and able to resist wool yellowing, fleece rot and fly strike.

Phalaris, cocksfoot and lucerne are the main perennial plants sown. Cropping is limited to 700 acres and as a means of preparing the soils for pasture renovation.

Benefits of SRS®

• 7 kilograms of 18.9 micron wool per adult Merino ewe

• 130 % weaning

• Exceptional breeding values for the young rams, averaging + 1.4 millimetres for eye muscle depth, + 1.0 milimetres for fat cover.

• High lamb survival

• Exceptionally white wools in our “subtropical” (high rainfall and high humidity) environment

• Minimal fleece rot or body strike

• No mulesing

• Bare breeches

Contacts:

Name: Ron and Cheryl Blyth

Address: