White Suffolk Stud
Farrer breeds high quality White Suffolk rams using reproductive technologies and objective measurement. The White Suffolk Stud is managed by Ag Teacher Darren Smith with approximately 400 sheep. All animals are recorded on Lamb Plan and we are MN3 level Ovine Johne’s disease accredited.
An extensive A.I. program is conducted annually and run by the students under teacher supervision. This program involves work outside school hours as lambing starts in August and extends over a six-week period.
Farrer conducts a sale annually in September, both on-site and online. Students are involved in the organisation including advertising, sale catalogue development, animal selection and preparation. As part of their learning, all activities with the sheep are managed by the students on a rostered basis. It’s a real life hands-on rewarding experience for the boys.
This ‘Farrer White Suffolk Breeding Program – Achieving a product of distinction’ video documents the production of these rams from selection of the compatible parents through to the final sale of the rams.
The stud is accredited with:
- Brucellosis Accredited
- MN 3 OJD Status
- Independently Structurally Assessed
- SuperWhites Member
- Lambplan GOLD Quality Data
Sheep & Wool Enterprises
Year 9 and 10 Wool Science classes and Primary Industries students are directly involved in many aspects of the Farrer White Suffolk Stud. These include shearing, crutching, artificial insemination, drenching, vaccination, lamb plan testing, conducting a ram sale, classing and selection, showing and marketing. Students also maintain a fine wool Merino flock consisting of around 50 ewes. This enterprise focuses on parasite resistance and objective wool production.
Our Wool Science enterprise involving 50 sheep and is used as a comparative program not a meat production enterprise. All management and breeding requirements are carried out by Agriculture Teacher Mr Darren Smith.
