On the windswept pastures of Westwood in northern Tasmania, a quiet revolution is reshaping the fortunes of one family-run farm. Andrew Archer, alongside his wife Fiona and their three young sons, has spent the past five years steering their 4,000-hectare operation toward a new kind of productivity—one built on the back of genetics rather than brute force. The results? A striking 20 to 30 percent increase in lamb weaning rates, a figure that’s caught the attention of producers across the region.
For Archer, the journey began with a simple but bold decision: prioritize maternal strength and resilience over the traditional focus on size and sheer output. "Their genetic profile was what we were looking for—maternal, not too big a ewe, good weight gain, and weaning weight," he told Stock & Land. That shift led the family to invest in composite rams from the well-known Cloven Hills stud in Nareen, Victoria, joining 2,500 of their 7,000 composite ewes to these genetics, while the remaining 4,500 are paired with locally sourced Poll Dorset rams. It’s a blend that, so far, is paying dividends.
The Archers’ farm is a fully integrated operation, with livestock and cropping run in tandem. Andrew’s brother Sam manages 400 hectares of irrigated cropping, supported by his wife Annabelle and their two daughters. The brothers took over management from their parents eight years ago, and together, they’ve built a system where every decision—genetic or otherwise—ripples across the entire enterprise. In this context, a sustained lift in weaning rate isn’t just a statistical win; it’s a game changer for the whole farm.
But the story isn’t just about numbers. It’s about a deliberate, year-on-year approach to genetic improvement. Archer notes that while the flock’s micron and shearing costs have risen, thanks to the Cloven Hills rams, the focus on maternal traits and weight gain has delivered exactly what the family hoped for. "We’ve seen our weaning percentage jump by about 20-30pc," he said, crediting the composite genetics for the consistent uptick.
The farm’s targets are ambitious: two lambs weaned at 100 days at 32 kilograms, a 180 percent scan in May, and a 160 percent weaning rate from mixed-age ewes. "Ideally you want two lambs weaned at 100 days at 32 kilograms, and that’s kind of what we’re getting," Archer explained. The flock lambs compactly over five weeks from early July, braving frosty mornings and sub-10-degree days—a challenge that the composite ewes, with their superior mothering ability, are well equipped to handle. "They seem to just be able to get the lamb through," Archer remarked, highlighting the resilience that’s become a hallmark of his flock.
These gains have not come overnight. The Archers’ approach has been incremental, with each season building on the last. "We’re seeing a year on year jump and we’re nearly there," Archer said, reflecting on the slow but steady progress. The use of Cloven Hills genetics over younger ewes has been a way of "fast tracking genetic gain," he added—a strategy that’s helped the farm keep pace with the demands of modern lamb production.
Of course, every improvement comes with its own set of trade-offs. The increased micron and shearing expenses are real, but for the Archers, they’re more than justified by the performance boost. The farm aims to kill lambs at a 23kg dressed weight, or 50-55kg live weight, with most lambs finished and sold on the mainland, primarily to Geelong. Shipping costs, which average around $30 per lamb, are subsidized through the Tasmanian government’s freight equalisation scheme, helping to keep the operation competitive in a tough market.
Efficiency doesn’t stop at genetics. The Archers finish their lambs on 100 hectares of irrigated clover, stocking at 35-40 lambs per hectare and expecting weight gains of 250-300 grams per day. Lighter lambs that don’t make the finished grade quickly enough are summered on rape or turnips on dry land until there’s space on the irrigated paddocks. "We get the lambs off as soon as possible," Archer said. "If we can keep costs of production down, which goes hand in hand with an increased stocking rate and a quick turnover, it’s probably where we aim to catch up."
That business-minded approach extends to the farm’s cattle operation as well. The herd, predominantly Poll Hereford breeders, is self-replacing, with all heifers above 280kg joined. Steers are finished on grass at 18-20 months, targeting a live weight of 550kg, or 270-280kg dressed, for the JBS grass-fed programs. The cattle, like the lambs, benefit from irrigated ryegrass, chicory, and clover pastures. "They’re all finished on a ryegrass, chicory, and clover mix that’s irrigated," Archer said, aiming for a 1.5kg daily weight gain. British breeds, he notes, are well suited to this system and are "excellent grass converters."
For Archer, farming today is as much about numbers as it is about tradition. "We can’t control the price we receive, we can only control what we spend here," he told The Weekly Times. "Having your finger on the pulse with costs of production here is the real necessity." It’s a sentiment echoed by many in Tasmania’s farming community, where innovation and efficiency are increasingly the keys to survival.
The broader impact of the Archers’ approach is hard to ignore. Their experience shows that targeted breeding can drive productivity gains even in the cold, challenging conditions of northern Tasmania. It also underscores a wider shift in farm decision-making: productivity is now measured through long-term biological improvement rather than short-term fixes. A 20 percent lift in weaning performance may not sound dramatic at first blush, but it represents repeated gains that compound across years, ewes, and lamb cohorts—transforming the economics of the entire operation.
Archer is quick to note that Tasmania’s farming landscape is changing, with a new generation of producers pushing for greater efficiency and innovation. "I think Tasmania is doing pretty well," he said. "There are a lot of young farmers and they’re up and about too, they push the operations. I think it’s good having a neighbour that makes you aspire to do better. It’s a good community down here."
As the Archers continue to refine their systems and chase new benchmarks, their story stands as a testament to the power of genetics, resilience, and a sharp business sense in shaping the future of Australian agriculture. For other producers watching from the sidelines, the message is clear: the right breeding decisions, made with patience and precision, can change the game—one lamb at a time.