HISTORY

Hermes Poll Dorsets 40 years of commitment to breeding excellence.

The stud was founded in 1978 and has established a proud reputation of showing stud sheep and providing rams to the commercial lamb industry. Presently the Hermes Poll Dorset stud contains some of the nation’s elite genetic material, and future plans involve the development of this genetic resource, and the refining of marketing strategies to increase market share.

Today we have a breeding strength of around 500 ewes; numerically this represents a breeding strength that is within the nation’s top 2 percent. We have successfully shown stud sheep at all major shows in the country: Sydney, Albury, Cowra/NSW Championships and Melbourne. The stud has also competed in multi vendor flock ram sales with distinction.

In 1984 the stud competed for the first time at the Melbourne Royal Show with two rams and a ram lamb. 83166 won the shorn ram class from 89 entries and subsequently sold for $7500; 83165 placed 6th and was retained in stud; the lamb, 84180 was placed 5th and sold the following year for $2100. Since then the stud has continued to show and sell with great success In 1990 the stud purchased the World Record priced milk tooth ram for $13,000 at the Melbourne Ram Sales, this ram Karawina 89851 (Prophet) has bred great success at Hermes.

The Hermes stud has built a reputation for quality by consistently winning flock ram competitions and securing top prices at multi-vendor sales. The stud set the NSW state record for a pen of flock rams at the Dubbo National Rams sales in 1988 and continued with this success by gaining top price and average for many years.

With the development of Lambplan the stud has placed increasing emphasis on the objective measurement of our animals in order that our clientele can reap the rewards from genetically superior sheep in dollar terms, by quicker turn off times and having the ability of meeting carcase specifications that attract premium prices.

The evolution of Lambplan as one of the world’s premier genetic models has meant that the Australian Sheepmeat industry, and the stud, can make huge genetic gains in the immediate future.

With the introduction of across flock evaluation where all terminal breeds are compared and industry acceptance, Hermes has ceased all showing activities.

Hermes 96187 was ranked number 1 growth sire on the early 80:10:10 index and was influencial in the stud

Hermes uses LAMBPLAN to develop its genetic base and to be market relevant.In recent years we have concerntrated on putting muscling into our sheep while striving for increased growth.

The 2009 drop of lambs has seen our genetics lead the nation, with twin ewe lambs(09481 and 09482) become the number first and second ranked female progeny on Index 2020.These animals also being placed first and fourth on the 60:20:20 index and being clearly top females of all time. In fact 8 female progeny were placed on the elite lists in 2010.In the June run on 60:20;20,Hermes female progeny were placed 1,4,15,24 and 29 in the top 50 progeny. All these progeny from Hermes 08376

Ram progeny from the 2009 drop fared equally well with 09030 being ranked number 1 trait leader for PEMD, with an ASBV of 5.22. Ram 9034 was ranked 4th for the PEMD trait.

The 2009 drop fared well comparitively with animals being included in trait leader listings for WWT, PWWT,YWT, PEMD, Index 2020 and Index 60:20:20

We now sell exclusively from the property with an Annual on Property sale and paddock sales.

Other goals of our sheep operation are to maintain our position amongst the premier studs in the country, and to establish ourselves as leaders in the industry through objective measurement of commercial traits

Our goals of marketing robust, long and well-fleshed rams with good conformation will not be compromised. Indeed, the goals have been reassessed in the light of advanced technology and are for the betterment of the Lamb industry in this country. Our responsibility to the industry is to provide functional sheep producing lamb of superior quality that provide meat cuts which are sought by the consumer and can be prepared quickly and easily by that consumer. We to sell 200-250 rams annually.

Hermes has been involved with the development of commercial lamb alliances. Hermes is proudly associated with JA Bush and Co’s “CRYSTAL SPINGS” brand supplying the ram genetics to producers from the Woodstock alliance. The alliance operated through JJDresser and Co, Woodstock supplies exclusively to CRYSTAL SPRINGS.