Cutting-edge, balanced breeding lifts profits for clients
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A razor-sharp focus on commercial reality has enabled Lachlan Merinos to consistently turn hard data into tangible returns for not just their own business, but clients across the country.
By concentrating on early growth, genetic performance, and measurable fleece data to generate profit, combined with strategic investments in cutting-edge breeding intelligence and some of the best new genetics, Lachlan Merinos keeps setting new benchmarks for high-performing, profitable dual-purpose sheep.
The rewards of this approach have never been more evident than in recent years, with Lachlan Merinos excelling in the Australian Merino Production Trial, consistently ranking highly for fleece value, growth rates and carcase quality, reinforcing the stud's reputation for genetic depth and commercial relevance.
Based at Warroo, west of Forbes, Lachlan Merinos is family-owned and operated by three generations of the Rubie family, with classing and breeding headed up by Glenn Rubie and his son, Mitch.
Mitch Rubie said clients were seeing the benefits firsthand, with standout returns on their progeny.
Recently, Forbes producers, Tom and Melissa Brown, sold a draft of wether lambs for $380 per head, underlining the market demand for Lachlan-bred sheep.
The same lambs also cut a $45 fleece (17.5 micron, 4.5kg), bringing the total return per head to $425.
"These figures reinforce that Lachlan Merinos are not only industry-competitive but a genuinely profitable choice for commercial woolgrowers seeking returns across all key traits," Mr Rubie said.
"The combination of elite wool, strong growth, and marketable carcases places Lachlan Merinos as a leading ram source for modern sheep enterprises."
This year's on-property ram sale on September 17 will offer 160 rams, which have been selected using the Lachlan Merinos formula for combining visual emphasis, raw measurement, as well as full pedigree and ASBV analysis.
The stud's focus for more than 30 years has been to select sheep for fast growthrates, early maturity, and meat traits, alongside wool quality and quantity - traits proven, Mr Rubie said, to drive higher returns in the prime lamb market and improved conception rates in maiden ewes.
They've been using artificial insemination (AI) for nearly three decades and have deployed embryo transfer (ET) for more than a decade.
Significant time and resources are invested in measuring every stud lamb born on the farm - a process which starts at lamb marking with DNA collection to record parentage and genomic data across all ewe and ram progeny, kickstarting a lifetime of recording all measurable traits for each sheep.
This year, Lachlan Merinos has continued its aggressive breeding program, investing in two large ET and AI programs for the 2025 lambing.
The program predominantly used Lachlan poll sires, including industry-leading Lachlan Merinos 220118 alongside Wiringa Park 220450, purchased in Bendigo in 2023 for $70,000.
His sons have already sold across Australia this season, with prices reaching as high as $20,000 and $40,000, and they won champion and reserve champion march shorn ram titles at the recent National Ram Show and Sale in Dubbo.
Sons of both these sires will make up a significant portion of this year's sale team.
"LM 220118 is the best ram we've ever bred, and his breeding performance has been outstanding," Mr Rubie said.
"It's no surprise to us that his genetics are now being sought and used widely across the industry in 17 different stud operations.
"We're excited about the impact these two sires are already having, and we firmly believe their progeny are set to elevate the productivity and profitability of our clients' flocks into the future."
The combination of this targeted breeding program and Lachlan Merinos' well-known ruthlessness for classing, which hones structure, conformation and heavy-cutting wools, provides confidence and assurance to clients looking to purchase sheep which can deliver reliability and profitability.
"Our classing program is underpinned with the confidence of having the right genomic data behind us, knowing the pedigrees through DNA, using the raw measurements and visual assessment and then combining them all together."
Lachlan Merinos will open its gates for sale inspections from 9am, with the sale officially underway at 1pm on September 17.
In addition, grade rams will be available for sale from mid-September, with an on-property ram inspection day to be held on Saturday, September 6.
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