Leo Tompkins, a passionate farmer from Wattamondara in central western NSW, is doing some heavy lifting. He’s interested in raising a new super breed of sheep. More importantly, he brings creativity to his efforts by crossing breeds. His ultimate aim is livestock that needs less handling and reduces the physical toll of old-fashioned sheep farming. Tompkins is bringing the Persian, Damara, East Friesian, and Finnsheep breeds to the table. Both priorities will increase profitability and make life easier for farmers across the Great Lakes region.
As Tompkins explains, his breeding program is laser-focused on reversing that trend toward producing high fertility rates. It replaces the controversial practice of mulesing, which has raised ethical concerns about the sheep industry. He’s particularly interested in breeds that already naturally shed wool and don’t have tails. This method is intended to increase the productivity of sheep production overall.
Addressing Labour Challenges
It’s not just shearers Farmers are also experiencing a wider shortage of general labor so many farmers are now. So far, demand for these low-maintenance sheep has outpaced supply. Tompkins noted, “We found more people wanting self-reliance, self-sufficiency, and producers out west wanting just a lower-input sheep because they couldn’t find the labour to shear them, to do other contracting roles that they needed to do.”
This truth has led Tompkins to concentrate on breeding behaviours that reduce the need for specialized labour. This, he thinks, could make a huge difference to farmers who are particularly affected by current workforce challenges, if they were able to introduce more low-maintenance sheep.
Peta Bradley, who collaborates with Tompkins, stated, “Those really easy care traits are becoming more important in breeding programs and as a result we’re working with the scientists to try and develop breeding values.” This multi-faceted teamwork is focused on developing an animal suited to the specific environmental and production requirements of local farmers.
A Focus on Profitability
Tompkins’ initiative is to breed the dumbest sheep possible that needs no care and feeding. Simultaneously, this breed will be incredibly productive. He asserts, “What we’re trying to do is create a sheep that’s a low-input sheep, or a low-maintenance sheep, that is going to be as productive or more productive and more profitable than other competing breeds at the moment.”
Tompkins purposefully breeds for traits such as a high fertility-rate and easy handling. The good news is that as a result, he’s already experienced positive impacts to his farm’s profitability. His oeuvre is an intuitive answer to both national market demand and the more nutty challenges of farming in this hyperlocalist, somewhat dystopian region.
As Tompkins forges ahead with his breeding program, he’ll be the first to tell you that camaraderie has never been more important among the farming community. “There are a lot of other producers doing really great work … we just want to work in conjunction and collaboration with those breeders and producers and to produce and to create something that will complement what’s already there,” he explained.
The Future of Sheep Farming
Tompkins’ work is part of a profound movement towards breeding animals that can best flourish in a myriad of contexts with less input. Our agricultural landscape is shifting dramatically and quickly. Accepting new characteristics, like more frequent wool shedding and shorter tails, may be what it takes to establish a new ideal sheep production.
Bradley highlighted ongoing research into these new traits: “We are certainly seeing a lot of interest in new traits, like shedding, starting to do some preliminary work to develop breeding values around tail length as well.”
Tompkins is cutting new ground in this area with the assistance of his dog, Boomer, to herd the flock. He is committed to ensuring that his decisions will improve farmers’ lives and the sustainability and profitability of the industry’s future.
