MYMMS FARM WILTSHIRES

Biodynamic producers of Quality Stud and Commercial Wiltshire Horn Sheep THE PRIME MEAT BREED Members of the Australian Wiltshire Horn Sheep Breeders Association Current NSW State Representatives The Power Kings - Twin Rams - Meroveus and Aurelius Twin sons of Pickwick Arturus and Elite Ewe CSIRO 90 LO 314 These boys were our first major Bloodline Mymms Farm now uses six distinct bloodlines for genetic diversity, Pickwick, Wanna, Wendal, Byarlea, Muskeg and Bara Simbil All these studs bloodlines now feature in our current Ram lineup. Biodynamic Meat Sheep designed by Mother Nature NO MUELSING, CRUTCHING, SHEARING or DOCKING REQUIRED We raise sheep the way Mother Nature intended, healthy, hardy, genetically diverse and with minimum man made chemicals.

Our First Stud Ram, Pickwick Arturus Full blood brother to Pickwick Maximian Multi award winning Pickwick Ram

The original Mymms Farm was located at Wildes Meadow in the picturesque Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, about 100 kilometers south of Sydney. The farm had been home since 1996 to the prize Wiltshire Horn Sheep flock owned by Rosemary Gaussen and Howard Miller. Until quite recently Wiltshire Horn were included in the rare breeds in Australia. They are an ancient breed of British Meat Sheep which shed their wool in the spring. Easy-care - Less wool means less work	MYMMS FARM. (Photograph courtesy of Highlife Magazine.)
	Welcome to Mymms Farm, Mymms Farm has now moved to Raine Vale Park at Borambola, near Wagga Wagga. This 437 acre former cattle property has proven to be an ideal place to increase the size of our stud. But since arriving we have faced over two years of unrelenting drought conditions. Normally the Borambola area is considered safe, soft country by local standards, nestled at the foothills of the Dividing Ranges, the area normally receives adequate rainfall and is somewhat sheltered from the harsh drying winds of the cropping lands to the west of Wagga Wagga. Here is a view of the driveway, we find very welcoming after a drive in drier parts of the district. Make it a point to visit us, if you travel along the Sturt Highway. A quick phone call will tell you if we are home.
Beautiful Borambola, Like a scene from a travel magazine the rolling farm country stretches in all directions as far as the eye can see. Borambola Valley is traversed by the Tarcutta Creek which joins the Murrumbidgee River. Borambola is now only a location on the Sturt Highway, between Tarcutta and Wagga Wagga. In days gone by there would have been halfway houses and perhaps a store, there was a rail siding on the now disbanded Tumbarumba rail line. This photo is from an adjoining hill looking across to Mymms Farm, located at the foothills, just about where you can see the small rounded hill in the middle of the picture.
Ram Lamb 340 A nice Ram Lamb from the 2003 period, just on 12 mths of age, clean wool shedding, upright, athletic and alert, exhibiting all the desirable traits we seek in our sheep. 2005 has seen the shift to Biodynamic Farming with the spreading of 500 on our pastures, with Compost Teas and other nature based methods in our Pasture Improvement Policy. Healing years of overuse of man made chemicals has presented a few challenges. We are strong believers in a "Whole Healthy Farm" policy and believe the health of our animals is closely related to the biological health of the soil. Wiltipols Due to the problems of raising polled sheep that have consistency of all the aspects we admire in Wiltshire Horn Sheep, our program for developing our own polled sheep has gone on the back burner. We consider the supposed need for polled sheep is a mythology of the Sheep Industry and relates to improper handling of livestock by processors and transporters. This Young Ram joined a line up of Prize winners

Twin ewe lambs at 4 months of age.

Changes in the Australian sheep industry have meant that the Wiltshire Horn breed has been one of the fastest growing breeds in Australia. Because they do not require shearing they are easy to look after, and therefore are an excellent alternative to cattle or other breeds of sheep and goats on small as well as large farms. They have outstanding wool shedding ability and an excellent growth rate, the meat is tender, low in fat and cooks without offensive odour. REAL MEAT SHEEP Highest carcass yield - largest muscle area

2003 Crop of lambs The shift to the Wagga Wagga district and move to real sheep country has produced some of our best results to date. Here we see a 2001 ewe with her twin lambs, one ram lamb and one ewe lamb, just prior to weaning, with all three animals in prime condition. This photograph was taken in the closing season of the worst drought in one hundred years and although we were still breeding at full capacity, we have to admit we were under stocked for our acreage. We aimed for an 85% cover left on the ground after rotational grazing. This policy has allowed the feed to bolt away with the minimum of rain. With a little welcome rain, some of these dry land paddocks will rival our neighbor's irrigated paddocks. We are now experiencing, in 2006, an extension of drought conditions, currently described " as the worst in settled Australian History" and still maintaining our ground cover, we are supplementary feeding the flock and our Angus cattle herd to safeguard the remaining permanent pasture grass species. Mymms Farm is now carrying 200 Wiltshire Horn Sheep, one prime Angus Bull and thirty six Angus females, giving us a real farm income in the face of outrageously severe drought conditions. Good management practices - pay off in long term benefits.

Mymms Farm offers lean, prime-lamb producing animals at realistic prices for stud or commercial flocks. Mymms Farm endeavors to be environmentally friendly and as natural as possible. We aim to comply with ISO 14001, for safety and management of our stud and business. The flock is maintained in the best surroundings, the stock are drenched and inoculated to meet best practice standards. Since the move in early 2002, we are still facing the one in hundred year drought and have increased our numbers again in 2006 by 156 %, whilst the sheep population of Australia dwindles to the lowest numbers in recorded history, we more than double our numbers annually. Such is the Power of the Breed.

High ranked Lamplan ewe with newborn lamb.

ASBBS Flock No. 102 Brucellosis Free Accreditation CW96/34 OJD MN2 Status N177/00/1

Mymms Farm has won a number of prizes for Champion Wiltshire's in agricultural shows. First in class, Bendigo National Sheep Show 2000; Second in class Canberra Royal Agricultural Show 2001. Reserve Champion Ram and three first prizes in the Bendigo Australian Sheep Show - 2004 Champion Ram and four first prizes in the Holbook Sheep and Wool Fair - 2004

Maiden ewes often produce single lambs, but during the recent one in one hundred year drought, some of our maiden ewes produced twins and raised some of our best results, on the harshest of conditions with the minimum of extra feed. This breed thrives on harsh conditions.

Mymms Farm Ewe 132 in a relaxed pose for the camera. This ewe was born and raised in the 2001- 2003 drought. Taken in December 2003 you will note in the background how dry conditions remain and how little feed has survived the drought. In managing our grazing we have aimed to not deplete the ground cover and the sheep rotate throughout the property to reduce worm burden and safeguard the native pasture species. This ewe is in prime condition, with a ewe lamb at foot, joined in May 2003, especially note the fine texture and no spotting on her summer coat. Best Practices Standards - means - Best Possible Outcomes

Twin sons of Pickwick Arturus and Elite ewe CSIRO 90 LO 314 Twin lambs are common to the breed, triplets and occasional quads have been successfully raised to weaning. These twins are Meroveus and Aurelius in their first weeks of life, showing the distinctive CSIRO colouring and fine coat, common in this line. These twin ram lambs show the narrow, almost streamlined head of this line, making for easier birthing and less delivery trauma. The ewe Mymms Farm LO 314 had carefully placed her offspring in the shade of a tree whilst she grazed within close distance to the youngsters. These two ram lambs grew on to over 125 kg live weight at maturity. Typical of the breed, she was very careful with her offspring. Mis-mothering is virtually unknown with this breed

Rosemary hand feeding young lambs. During the ravages of the four year long drought, we have lost a few breeding ewes, the lambs surviving the harsh conditions. Rosemary was able to hand feed these ewe lambs through to weaning with little difficulty, these ewe lambs have gone on to replace their predecessors and raise their own lambs virtually untroubled and with the minimum supplementary feeding. In harsh times it has been a great benefit to us to be able to maintain our numbers in spite of unscheduled losses. We manage our flock without dogs and fear is not a mechanism of handling our sheep. The sheep react to our voices and move towards presence. Open a gate and they are in the next paddock, assuming that was where you wanted them?? Easy care adaptable sheep - untroubled by human contact

HOLBROOK SHEEP and WOOL FAIR -2004 Rosemary leads Champion Ram Yellow 340 from judging floor to the pens. Her perseverance has paid off with the wide ribbon being awarded for the first time to MYMMS FARM. The Judge, Mr. Robin Harwood, pioneer breeder, commended Rosemary on presentation and as you can see from the photo, a very happy breeder with a fine animal. Yellow 304 is just over 12 months of age and competed against worthy entries at least 12 months his senior. This ram has gone on to become a high yielding Prime Lamb Sire at a nearby Wiltshire Horn Commercial Flock. If you provide favourable conditions Wiltshire Horn Sheep produce outstanding results.

Foundation Ewe 565 in 2000. This pure bred ewe has produced seven female and two male lambs in the first five years of her breeding life. This indicates a gross return of 140% per annum on investment with this ewe. Ewes have been known to be still producing sound lambs in their tenth and eleventh years, with full mouths of teeth, unheard off in other breeds. In her last breeding year, 2006, this ewe has a full mouth of teeth, still produced a fine lamb and although arthritis has finally limited her mobility, she is still alert, holding condition in the face of the drought and arrives early at the feed trough. The spotting on the coat is believed to be an environmental issue from prime pasture conditions and does not affect the salability of the animals. High productivity - another attraction of the breed

Prices include GST and for pure bred stock the registration & transfer fee of $ 11 Pure bred Stud Ewes begin at $ 481, Commercial ewes from $ 280 We do not normally sell ewes in lamb, available only to special order. Pure bred Stud Rams $ 481 to $ 1211, Price dependent on breeding, age and availability. Also available wethers at $2 per kilo livewieght. Minimum price $ 88, dependent on weight and season. To maintain our high standards we no longer offer Commercial Rams at reduced prices to the Wool Industry This decision has been forced on our business by the AWEX and ACCC Restrictive Trade Practices scandal. It is our opinion that the cross breeding of Merino based sheep for the Lamb Meat Market using terminal sires, detracts from the quality of the product offered to this market - MEAT SHEEP for meat production. MERINO SHEEP for wool production. TO ORDER click here