News page last updated -18th October 2008

::: Kaya Annual Production Sale - Results

We would like to thank our clients for once again making our annual sale a great success. I wish all buyers the best of success with their new purchases.

The top priced White Dorper ram, Kaya 061579 was sold for $7100 to the Westdale White Dorper Stud.

The top priced Dorper ram, Kaya 070056 was sold for $6000 to the Dorper stud of Luis Roberto Alanis Alanis, Mexico.

The top priced White Dorper ewe, Kaya 070106 (Lot 70), was sold for $1100 to Dean Powrie at Narromine NSW.

The top Dorper ewe, Kaya 070840 (Lot 30), was sold for $1600 to Jaap Pienaar, Mabaru Dorper Stud, Narrogin WA.

White Dorper Rams			$79,500.00	52	1,528.85
White Dorper Ewes - Studs			$46,550.00	74	629.05
White Dorper Ewes - Commercial			$20,000.00	45	444.44
Dorper Rams			$46,500.00	49	948.98
Dorper Ewes - Studs			$33,100.00	55	601.82
Dorper Ewes - Commercial			$3,810.00	19	200.53
			$229,460.00	294	$780.48

All animals in the sale will have current "performance data" and will be tested free of "Dermatosparaxis skin disease" or come from tested negative parents. We are Brucella Ovis accredited free, and have 6 ABC points for Johnes. 

The "performance testing" of our animals is based on the following "Estimated Breeding Values" principles.

We want an animal that is "less than 0 for "birthweight", a minimum of +3 for "weaning weight", a minimum of +6 for "post weaning weight", a maximum of +1 for "post weaning fat", a minimum of +1.5 for "post weaning eye muscle depth" and finally a maximum of +10 for "yearling weight" then for the maternal side we would like an animal of +5 for "number of lambs weaned" and >0 for "maternal weaning weight".

This gives us a well muscled early growth animal with a low adult weight which we consider is the aim for a maternal mother plus the ability to wean good weights and good number of lambs.

At the 30th July if you search the lambplan Dorper/White Dorper website www.lambplan.com.au and add the above criteria there are 12 Australian born Dorper Sires (8 Kaya) and 22 Australian born White Dorper Sires (14 Kaya) that meet the criteria. 

With performance breeding it is very easy to change your sheep for "better or worse" and selection solely for growth will result in high birthweight, high growth but a very large adult weight. Kaya does not want to breed that type of animal.

The "visual selection" of our animals is based on the "South African Breed Standards" with particular emphasis on "shedding ability" and "shoulder and feet conformation".  

 Expressions of interest are welcome - Adrian Veitch 0427 98 339 adrian@allstockwa.com.au

::: Wagin Woolarama 2008 - We have just completed another successful year of showing our sheep. Our aim is to evaluate where we stand in the industry on visual assessment. Kaya Dorper and White Dorper entered all eighteen classes in both Dorper and White Dorper and we were placed 1st in all classes except for one, where we finished 2nd to a Kaya daughter stud.

Kaya 060036 was Champion White Dorper Ram (was also champion in 2007) and Kaya 071593 was Champion White Dorper Ewe and Supreme White Dorper Exhibit. She is a daughter of Kaya 060036. The ram lamb that finished 1st in the "milk teeth" class was also a son of Kaya 060036.

Kaya 070617 was Champion Dorper Ram and Supreme Dorper Exhibit.He is a son of Kaya 051614 who was Champion ram and Supreme Dorper at the 2007 Woolarama. Kaya 060845 (Jordaan embryo) was Champion Dorper Ewe.

We are very proud of our sheep and now feel that we have a very even, very good shedding sheep with excellent conformation and fat distribution.

::: Viascan images - to illustrate the quality of the "full blood" Dorper carcase I have attached some Viascan photos in the "Sales" section of my website. Go to "Sales" and select "Carcase". The impressive part of these results are that the animals were NOT grainfed and averaged 22.38kgs. The illustrated carcase is 26 kgs.

::: Abattoir results for pure bred animals - On the 12th Dec 07, we consigned 104 purebred ram lambs for slaughter. These animals were all "culled" from our 2007 lamb drop. The average liveweight was 53.8kgs with the average dressed weight 22.38kgs. The average of the lambs was 219 days of age and were only run on pasture with no supplementary feeding.

Table A below represents the results and illustrates that Dorper/White Dorper Ram lambs can be taken through to a heavyweight carcase and also the remarkable "lean meat yields".

48% of the ram lambs dressed at > 22kgs with only 2 heavyweights (> 32kgs) being more than Score 3.

  Table A

Weight range	Score 2	Score 3	Score 4
15.1 to 16kgs	2 (1.9%)	0	0
16.1 to 18kgs	4 (3.8%)	0	0
18.1 to 20kgs	18 (17.3%)	1 (1.9%)	0
20.1 to 22kgs	26 (25%)	3 (2.9%)	0
22.1 to 24kgs	12 (11.5%)	7 (6.7%)	0
24.1 to 26kgs	9 (8.6%)	14 (13.5%)	0
26.1 to 28kgs	1 (1.9%)	2 (1.9%)	0
28.1 to 30kgs	0	3 (2.9%)	0
30.1 to 32kgs	0	0	0
32kgs plus	0	0	2 (1.9%)
Total (22.37kgs)	72 (69.2%)	30 (28.8%)	2 (1.9%)

Lean meat Yields as assessed by the Viascan machine installed at WAMMCO - A higher percentage indicates more recoverable meat. The 93 animals scanned had an average carcase meat yield of 57.6%

Category	Number	%
High (Above 54%)	80	86%
Average (49 - 54%)	13	14%
Low (below 49%)	0	0%
Not scanned	11
Average for the 93 animals scanned		57.6%

::: Growth Rates - This year we have done a large recording of the potential of Dorper and White Dorpers under excellent pasture conditions to document the growth rates from birth to weaning and then to 150 days of age. Results are presented below:

All lambs were conceived by embryo transfer, and implanted in Merino ewes. 96% of the lambs were single births. No allowance was made for twin lambs. All merino ewes were run under normal pasture conditions and lambs were weaned onto good ryegrass, clover pastures. To make calculations easier, all lambs were assumed to have a 0 kg birthweight although the normal birthweight is 4 - 5 kgs. All lambs were run together from weaning to post weaning weighing.

Table 1 - illustrates the growth rates at Weaning (Wwt) and then at Post Weaning (Pwwt).

Table 2 - illustrates the % of animals that would be available for marketing at 144 days assuming a target of > 45 kgs liveweight. At this point 89.69% of ram lambs were ready and 21.26% of ewe lambs. A total of 50.89% including both sexes.

Rams	No	WWT	Age	g/d	PWT	Age	g/d
White Dorper	196	38.22 kgs	105 days	362.86	49.80 kgs	146 days	341.68
Dorper	47	38.63 kgs	97 days	398.25	51.13 kgs	137 days	373.21
Total Rams	243	38.30 kgs	104 days	369.26	50.09 kgs	144 days	348.18
Ewes
White Dorper	203	33.80 kgs	105 days	320.42	41.82 kgs	146 days	286.75
Dorper	56	34.88 kgs	97 days	359.59	41.50 kgs	137 days	302.92
Total Ewes	259	34.03 kgs	104 days	328.34	41.74 kgs	144 days	290.14
Total Drop	502	36.10 kgs	104 days	348.15	45.36 kgs	144 days	315.27
Ram - Wwt to Pwwt		11.79 kgs	40 days	293.50
Ewe - Wwt to Pwwt		7.71 kgs	40 days	191.79

Dorper Classing & Inspection - We had the pleasure of Tien Jordaan classing and inspecting our sheep for our own use and for our 3rd Production Sale.

From this inspection we retained 52 Dorper ewes in the stud, all being Type 5. Of these 35 were conformation 5 Type 5. We retained 25 White Dorper ewes, all being Type 5. Of these 14 are conformation 5 Type 5. This is a very pleasing result as a studs future is in it's ewe flock.

Dorper Course - Tien Jordaan conducted a very successful Dorper course at Kaya. 20 people attended and all passed. Thanks goes to Tien and Margaret Jordaan for the course, Mike and Jean Sudderth for their labour in chasing sheep around, and my wife, Rose and all my staff for the food and organisation.

We will conduct another course early next year and we are also planning to conduct some small two day information/classing days early next year. For more information contact Kerry Stone 0898 814848.

Kaya Production Sale - We have just had the dust settle from our 3rd production sale. The day was extremely successful and I thank all our clients who supported us in this difficult season.

Ewe prices dropped from the previous year too a level that, I consider, is more substainable to allow the development of large numbers of commercial ewes. The ram market was again strong and this was pleasing considering the season and a general trend of decreased demand for meat breeds in Western Australia in 2007.

Type Offered - Number offered / Number sold / Average

White Dorper Rams	49 / 49	$1247
Dorper Rams	42 / 50	$1131
White Dorper Ewes	74 / 74	$715
Dorper Ewes	75 / 75	$517

::: Dubbo Show - Congratulations to Nick Pagett and the Winrae Dorper Stud for winning the Supreme Dorper Exhibit and Senior Champion Ram. The ram (Kaya 03-7094) was bred by Kaya Dorpers and was purchased by Winrae Dorper Stud for the top price of $7800 at the Kaya 2005 Sale. His son Kaya 05-1614 was the Supreme Dorper and Champion ram at the 2007 Wagin Woolarama.

::: May 2007 - South African progeny - In April 2007 our latest import of embryos from Tien Jordaan (Dorpers and White Dorpers) and Mickey Phillips (Dorpers) were born along with 80 lambs from our best 2005 breeding ewes and our New Zealand White Dorpers. We wait with anticipation to compare the results in performance and visual assement.

The donor ewes from Tien Jordaan were all tested RR for Scrapie so we expect to have rams carrying the gene to be available in late 2007, early 2008.

In September Tien and Margaret Jordaan will be conducting a Dorper course at Kaya and then they will inspect our 2007 sale team.

I have just completed another embryo collection trip to South Africa and we have 140 Dorper embryos from Mickey Phillips Dorpers using a son of the world record priced "ROLO" and 120 White Dorper embryos from Jordaan White Dorpers. The 20 ewes from Tien Jordaan are his TOP performing ewes.

::: Kaya White Dorper Policy on Dermatosparaxis (skin fragility).

In my opinion Dermatosparaxis is a problem in White Dorper sheep in Australia, and I feel that it has the potential to cause major concerns in the White Dorper industry. To this point, I have not seen the disease in Dorpers (Black head) in Australia.

Kaya had an extremely successful show winning Champion Dorper ram - 051614, Champion Dorper ewe - 050946, Champion White Dorper ram - 060036 and Champion White Dorper ewe - 051425. The supreme Dorper went to 05-1614 and the Supreme White Dorper went to 06-0036.

Following the Woolarama, Kaya was holding a Dorper course from the 12th March to the 16th March. Unfortunately our very well respected course convenor, Rodney Rayner, had a very bad turn in his health and we have had to cancel the course. The GOOD and more IMPORTANT news is that Rodney is now doing well and we wish him a speedy recovery.

Scrapie Resistance : In April/May 2006, we collected 280 embryos, in South Africa, from Type 5 ewes that were screened by DNA profile for scrapie resistance. All ewes were RR and the rams were either RR or single R. We have now received these Dorper and White Dorper embryos in Australia and will implant them in September 2006 with the progeny to be sold in our 2007 October sale. These sheep should be of significant interest to North American, South America and UK breeders.

We are also testing our Type 5 ewes in Australia and should have results early 2007.