Soft approach delivers some strong results

The Wilkinson family’s Challara is all about Merino sheep, but the results they have been able to achieve since switching their focus to soft rolling skins has raised the benchmark. From more lambs to shearings every six months the stud’s principals say there is more to come.

At a glance…

• In the past 20 years Challara has brought its flock down three microns to an average of 20. At the same time the wool cut has been maintained at around 6.5kg, with the better stud ewes cutting 8kg
• Challara’s lambing percentage is currently 100 per cent. Before the stud started classing for SRS-type sheep its lambing average was just 82 per cent ▸▸Challara has been producing an average fibre length of 105mm, on a single shearing. However, by shearing at just on six months, they have been producing a 70mm fibre