End of an era: foundation White Suffolk stud prepares for staged dispersal

Foundation White Suffolk breeders Allan and Sue Piggott have made the difficult decision to disperse their Illoura stud in four major sales over the coming year at their Moorlands property.

Mr Piggott says they have mixed emotions about the end of an era, but accepts the timing is right.

"I am quite disappointed that we are leaving our clients high and dry, some who have been with us for 40 or 50 years, but the pragmatic side of me says it is time," he said.

"I have always believed if you are going to do the job you need to do it properly, or you are better off leaving it to someone else.

"I am finding it harder to find the time and energy to maintain the standard that I have always set myself."

Mr Piggott's grandfather Vern started a Dorset Horn stud in 1938, before his father Malcolm moved into Poll Dorsets in 1964.

Illoura was among 18 forward-thinking studs that developed the White Suffolk breed, registering their stud 40 years ago.

"We have been prepared to experiment with many breeds to evaluate their suitability as a prime lamb sire, and found the White Suffolk to be the most suitable for a variety of markets and production systems," Mr Piggott said.

Over the years, Illoura White Suffolk genetics have influenced many flocks across Australia.

Many top ewes were purchased by fellow studs from the annual SA Foundation Breeders Sale, which the Piggotts hosted for 32 years.

They have also sold many high-priced stud rams, including a keeper ram for $30,000 at the Royal Adelaide Show a few years ago and even exported ewe lambs to China.

Despite these successes, Mr Piggott says their greatest enjoyment has come from the people they have met and the camaraderie between fellow White Suffolk breeders and the broader prime lamb industry.

"I have also enjoyed delivering rams after our sale each year and being able to see clients' breeding programs," he said.

"This has been an important part of the stud's success - talking to clients and ensuring we are producing the rams that they require."

The Piggotts have embraced objective tools to assist them in their breeding decisions, especially for hard-to-measure traits, while not compromising on visual traits such as structure and conformation.

Illoura has been performance recording its flock internally since the early 1980s and was also an early adopter of Lambplan in the early 1990s.

Since then, nearly 45,000 of their animals have been recorded on the Sheep Genetics database with a five-star data quality score.

With an emphasis on growth, many of their sheep rank in the top few per cent for weaning and post-weaning weights.

"Over recent years we have concentrated on breeding a low-maintenance, easy care flock with minimal medication, and no inspection or interference during lambing," he said.

"We also have a reputation for having rams with plenty of length, that is where the weight comes from in lambs."

The first opportunity to secure some of Illoura's genetics will be 250 2024-drop ewe hoggets, which will be offered on October 28.

On March 3 next year, a mated ewe sale is planned, with 500 2.5-year-old to 4.5-year-old ewes.

About 200 of these ewes will be part of the stud's annual artificial insemination program and joined to some of the breed's leading sires.

On September 9 next year, 250 2025-drop ewe hoggets will be up for sale as a prelude to their final ram sale on September 10, with about 250 rams to be offered.

"We would love to see a couple of studs take quite a few of our ewes and continue our bloodlines, and that will provide an opportunity for our clients to continue on the same style of sheep," Mr Piggott said.

Nutrien SA stud stock and livestock manager Gordon Wood says the dispersal of the Illoura White Suffolk stud opens up an opportunity rarely seen in prime lamb production, with nearly 90 years of breeding stud sheep, a foundation member of the White Suffolk breed, performance data recorded on Lambplan since its inception and DNA on every animal.

"Allan and Sue have been farming with an ethos of efficiency and easy care for decades and that really shines through in the flock," he said.

"They have been tremendous supporters of the White Suffolk breed and sheep production in general.

"They will be sorely missed, but this opens doors for others to start, grow and or improve their genetics."

Elders SA stud stock marketing manager Tom Penna says Illoura has built a reputation for having tough Mallee sheep that perform well in many different environments.

"Stud breeders once told me that Illoura sheep always come back, that's saying they have a hardy constitution built in," he said.