Page 5 - Calga Dohnes Newsletter 2020_Flip Book Neat

Potential to value add with dohne

hoggets Richard Daugherty, Balala Station, Balala NSW

With the world on its head, I feel there is satisfaction. Beef is not named and sold
going to be a change in views about re- by its age whereas in the sheep market,
gionalism, food miles, local product and age and incisor emergence has been the
the quality of food are going to come more determining factor as too what consti-
into play. We see it already being talked tutes lamb. Lambs are finished at 6
about in Australia's manufacturing sector months of age now and wonder whether
and how to bring elements of manufacture they have had time to develop a depth of
back onto our shores. flavour, taste, or much intra muscular fat . Richard Daugherty & partner Sarah Burrows at
We are what we eat, and it all starts from the Thus we are selling the attributes of quality historic Balala Station where buildings date back to
soil. short because for decades it has been a per- 1839
More and more consumers care about the ceived market driver that lamb is better. So
nutrient density of their food and consumer we then forge forward to achieve genetics
power will be the catalyst for increasing on- which will push the boundaries of growth then set up a taste test using the same mus-
farm changes. Much of this pressure is cur- rates (hopefully not producing the pterodac- cles from both the aged and unaged primals.
rently being pointed at the red meat indus- tyl sized flavourless, structure-less chicken Around the table we had a few very experi-
try. pieces we find in our supermarkets). enced meat specialists and some generalist
Perhaps the question of quality not quantity However, lamb prices per kilogram are hei- foodies. All noted there was a definite differ-
is important in this space and for us as farm- nously high and I feel we could be doing ence in flavour, juiciness, tenderness and
ers it means looking for alternative ways of better under the sheep meat banner for the eating quality between the two in favour of
achieving better quality. consumer by addressing quality over quanti- the aged portions. Ratings score in beef ( not
Balala is situated in breeding country and on ty. With time MSA will hopefully determine one established for sheep meat yet) are :-
the whole is not fattening country. I am al- sheep meat (and create an acceptable name less than 46% is unsatisfactory; 64% and
ways looking at opportunities to get the best for it like beef in cattle meat) on a quality above is 4 star and above 74% is 5 star. The
return from assets managed and within our basis and move away from an age deter- results in the taste test came back with an
dual purpose flock of Dohnes I found two mined product. MQ4 rating of 77% for 21 day aged loin.
options. One is to increase cost of production With that in mind I thought how best to
in pastures to turn off the wether portion as achieve this quality in enhancing the flavour My conclusion is that the consumer is
finished lambs and the next was an alterna- profile and the tenderness of my own sheep being sold short in what is better -
tive option of increasing gross margin per meat. Ageing seemed the best and easiest 'sheep meat' or ‘lamb’.
hectare without having to increase produc- way to improve not only the flavour but also So as a dual purpose breed there is an
tion costs like sowing pasture, supplement tenderness. The sheep industry has not yet opportunity to look at holding onto
feeding grains by value adding my hogget focused heavily in the genetics of intra mus-
portion of the flock. I wanted to bring the cular fat (imf), in recent years a shear index weaners longer and not be outlaying
terms of trade back to the farm gate by in- has been derived but unlike the beef industry sums of money to finish them to turn off
creasing the value of kilograms of meat per there is no IMF figure in breeding values - but weights but allowing them to grow into
hectare by aging the hogget. this will surely change. their potential, enhancing the depth of
This was the catalyst behind seeing if it was So I decided to do a little test to see if I was flavour and IMF in the meat. So for some
even possible, and so the seed was planted barking up the wrong tree. I sent a Dohne operations there may be greater return
to try a taste testing on aged hogget. hogget through the system and then with the holding onto wethers and not selling
Meat Standards Australia (MSA) have a re- help of Dr Peter McGilchrist who heads up them as stores. This also gives an option
spected and well defined grading system for the Meat Science Unit at the University of for dry maiden hogget ewes to value
the beef industry, consumers are assured of New England we aged a half carcase for 21
quality in a grading system not based on days, freezing the other half as primal cuts add to them.
age but on taste texture and eating ( lion; knuckle; topside; bottom side) . We

Row Average of Average of Average of Average of Overall Average of Average of
Labels Tenderness Juiciness Flavour liking Category MQ4
KNU 5 DA 36 55.125 49.375 46.25 3 45
OUT 5DA 38.75 57 52.375 50.75 3 48.2625

OUT 21DA 46 56.625 51.25 50 3 49.8375
TOP 5DA 43.125 55.625 59.25 52.5 3 52.025
TOP 21DA 57.25 69.375 53 57.875 3.375 57.375
LINK 62.25 64.75 60.875 64.5 3.25 62.7625
Loin 5DA 64.25 58.375 63 64 3.5 63.2125
KNU 21 DA 64 69.875 60.5 66.125 3.625 64.175
Loin 21DA 81.625 72.875 73.5 77.25 4.375 77