Two Expeditions into the Interior of Southern Australia

No. III Sheep-Farming Returns, Showing the Increase in Four Years, From Two Breeding Flocks, Consisting of 670 Ewes in Lamb

(A.)—1st JUNE, 1828.

———
Flocks.	Breeding Ewes.		Lambs.		Total.	Remarks.
	2 yrs. old	3 yrs. old	Male	Female
———
							Lambs.
No. 1	330		148	149	627	Deaths 6	Incr.297
No. 2		330	154	154	638	4	308
					———	———	———
				*	1265	10	605
———

* [The increase throughout these returns is calculated at from 270 to 290 Lambs, to 300 Ewes, which is the usual average in N.S.W.]

ABSTRACT.

Purchased two Flocks of Ewes, at 84s		670
Increase of Lambs	605
Casual Deaths	10	595
		———
Total as per Return		1265

---

(B.)—1st JUNE, 1829.

———
Flocks	Ewes		Wethers	Rams	Lambs		Total	Remarks
	Breeding	Maiden			Male	Female
———
No.									Lambs.
1 3-yr.	327				154	154	635	Deaths 3	Incr.308
2 4-yr.	326				155	155	636	4	310
									———
3 1-yr.		302					302	1	618
								———	———
4 1-yr.			302	18			320	8
							———
							1893
———

ABSTRACT.

Return (A) Total			1265
Increase by Lambing	618
Ditto Rams purchased	18
	———	636
Casual Deaths		8	628
			———
Total as per return			1893

---

(C.)—1st JUNE, 1830.

———
Flocks	Ewes		Wethers	Rams	Lambs		Total	Remarks
	Breeding	Maiden			Male	Female
———
No.									Lambs.
1 2-yr.	296				133	133	562	Deaths 6	Incr.266
2 4-yr.	325				150	150	625	2	300
3 5-yr.	326				160	160	646		320
4 2-yr.			302	27			329		———
5 1-yr.			309				309		886
6 1-yr.		309					309		———
							———	3 Rams died
							2780	12 ditto purchased.
———

ABSTRACT.

Return (B) Total			1893
Increase by Lambing	886
Ditto Rams purchased	12
	———	898
Deaths		11	887
			———
Total as per return			2780

---

(D.)—1st JUNE, 1831.

———
Flocks	Ewes		Wethers	Rams	Lambs		Total	Remarks
	Breeding	Maiden			Male	Female
———
No.									Lambs.
1 2-yr.	304				136	136	576	Deaths 5	Incr.272
2 3-yr.	293				135	136	564	3	271
3 5-yr.	324				156	156	636	1	312
4 6-yr.	320				156	156	632	2	312
								Killed 4	———
5 3-yr.			300				300	Deaths 2	1167
6 2-yr.			308				308	1
7 1-yr.			443				443
8 1-yr.		442					442	1
9				40			40	5
							———	———
							3941	20
								Purchased 12
———

ABSTRACT.

Return (C) Total			2780
Increase by Lambing	1167
Ditto Rams purchased	18
	———	1185
Casual deaths 20…Killed for use 4		24	1161
			———
Total as per return			3941

---

(E.)—1st JUNE, 1832.

———
Flocks	Ewes		Wethers	Rams	Lambs		Total	Remarks
	Breeding	Maiden			Male	Female		(Killed)
———
No.									Lambs.
1 2-yr.	344				154	154	652	Deaths 6	Incr.308
2 3-yr.	344				162	161	667	4	323
4 3-yr.	342				164	165	671	3	329
5 6-yr.	320				155	155	630	2 (2)	310
6 7-yr.	300				145	145	590	2 (18)	290
7 4-yr.									———
			300				300		1560
8 3-yr.			302				302	2
9 2-yr.			440				440	1 (2)
10 1-yr			583				583	———
11 1-yr		584					584	(22)
12				45			45	5	Purch.10
	———	———	———	———	———	———	———	———
	1650	584	1625	45	780	780	5464	25 Casual deaths
———

ABSTRACT.

Return (D) Total			3941
Increase by Lambing	1560
Ditto Rams purchased	10
	———	1570
Decrease by casual death	25
Do. by slaughtered for use	22		1523
	———	47	———
Grand Total as above			5464

Memorandum,—The deaths have been calculated at the lowest rate under the best management. It may be safer to assume a rate of four or five per cent. per annum.

Account of Expenditure and Income Upon Sheep Stock in Australia, Appended to Returns A. B. C. D. and E.

1st YEAR, (RETURN A.) JUNE, 1829.

INCOME.
By 1265 fleeces, average weight 2 1/4 lbs. 2846 lbs
wool at 1s. 6d. per lb.		£213 9 0
EXPENDITURE.
To 2 Shepherds at £30	£60 0 0
To 1 Watchman at 20	20 0 0		PROFIT.
To Hurdles, &c.	10 0 0
	———	90 0 0
		———	£123 9 0
2nd YEAR, (B.) JUNE, 1830.
INCOME.
By 1893 fleeces, at 2 1/4 lbs. 4259 lbs.
wool at 1s. 6d.		£319 8 6
EXPENDITURE.
To 2 Shepherds at £30	£60 0 0
To 2 Ditto 20	40 0 0
To 1 Watchman	20 0 0
To Hurdles &c.	5 0 0
	———
	£125 0 0
To 18 Rams at £10*	180 0 0
	———	£305 0 0
		———	14 8 6
* [The price of rams will probably fall to £5.]
3rd YEAR, (C.) JUNE, 1831.
INCOME.
By 2780 fleeces, at 2 1/4 lbs. 6255 lbs.
wool at 1s. 6d.		£469 2 6
EXPENDITURE.
To 2 Shepherds at £30	£60 0 0
To 1 Ditto 25	25 0 0
To 3 Ditto 20	60 0 0
To 2 Watchman 20	40 0 0
To Hurdles &c.	10 0 0
	———
	195 0 0
To 12 Rams at £10	120 0 0
	———	£315 0 0
		———	154 2 6
4th YEAR, (D.) JUNE, 1832.
INCOME.
By 3941 fleeces, at 2 1/4 lbs. 8867 lbs.
wool at 1s. 6d.		£665 0 0
EXPENDITURE.
To 2 Shepherds at £30	£60 0 0
To 2 Ditto 25	50 0 0
To 4 Ditto 20	80 0 0
To 3 Watchmen, &c. (1 to take charge of Rams)	60 0 0
To Hurdles, &c.	10 0 0
	———
	260 0 0
To 18 Rams at £10.	180 0 0
	———	£440 0 0
		———	225 0 0
5th YEAR, (E.) JUNE, 1833.*
INCOME.
By 5464 fleeces at 2 1/4 lbs. 12,294 lbs.
wool at 1s. 6d.		£922 0 0
EXPENDITURE.
To 2 Shepherds at £30	£60 0 0
To 3 Ditto 25	75 0 0
To 5 Ditto 20	100 0 0
To 3 Watchman 20	60 0 0
To Hurdles &c.	20 0 0
	———
	315 0 0
To 10 Rams at £10	100 0 0
	———	£415 0 0
		———	507 0 0
			———
Net profit by sales of wool in 5 years			£1024 0 0

£1024 divided by 5, gives £204 8 0 for annual interest on the original capital of £2814, (about 7 1/4 per cent. per annum,) in addition to the accumulation of capital itself, shown by the valuation of stock.

VALUATION OF SHEEP, JUNE, 1832—(RETURN E.)

1614	Ewes from 1 to 4 years old	£3 each	£4842 0 0
620	Do. 4 to 7 years old	2 ″	1240 0 0
780	Female Lambs	2 ″	1560 0 0
2405	Wethers and Male Lambs	15s.	1803 0 0
45	Rams (original cost, 450l.)		400 0 0
			———
			£9845 0 0

Note.—About £500 would be added to the Income on the fifth year, by the sale of wethers of 3 and 4 years old.

The cost of rams ought, strictly speaking, to be added to capital, and not deducted from Income; but these returns were made out in their present form at the request of a gentleman proceeding to the Colony with a limited capital, and who wished to know how much he might safely invest in sheep.

Notes

* [These accounts are a year in advance of the sheep returns, in order to bring them to the time at which the wool would be sold.]