ABOUT US

Glen Holme Poll flock [166] is owned and operated by multiple generations of the Kelly family at Manoora SA. This has been the case since their first Merino Stud was registered in 1946. The Poll Merino stud was re-registered in 2022 and incorporates some of the original Poll Merino ewes. Other ewes have been carefully selected and purchased to build flock numbers.

Prior to re-registration, we have continued with stud sheep breeding and will carry these experiences, tools and techniques through to benefit the Glen Holme Poll Merino flock.

Allen’s background to becoming stud master began in the 1970’s and included some years gaining external experience in this field.

Glen Holme is a diverse property with other major enterprises including mixed grain production, commercial sheep production and Dohne and Poll Merino Studs. The climate is Mediterranean with an average annual rainfall of approximately 485mm, largely throughout cold winters. The property is very picturesque with rolling hills, some steep grazing slopes, and some flats more suitable to cropping and pasture rotations.

Our sheep are paddock run and finished to allow the genetic do-ability to shine, rather than the environmental effect of the animal’s eating ability and food supply. This also means reduced transition shock when moving your new sheep from Glen Holme to your property and expected to adjust and perform in a new environment.

We make and record many observations and take many measurements throughout the animals lifetime. These are recorded and analysed both on property and wider through Sheep Genetics, to asses the genetic performance and merit, and have confidence in understanding the traits/genetics that will be passed to the progeny.

Not all rams born on the property are offered for sale, especially where they do not satisfy our standards. The rams presented for Auction are offered in the belief that they are sound, productive, fertile and fit for work.

We utilise genetics and natural resistance through body and wool type to mimimise flystrike, assessing also breech cover, breech wrinkle and fleece rot, as well as seeking both resistance and tolerance to worms. We use pain medication when docking tails and have ceased mulesing.

More about us

Each of the main participants in the Glen Holme business brings a set of skills and experiences to the mix. They are complementary and give rise to a wide suite of strengths and experiences.

Allen is the third generation of his family at Glen Holme; his grandfather established the business in 1904.  A Merino Stud was established in 1946, and a Poll Merino flock added in 1954. Allen had an early interest in Beef Cattle, buying Murray Greys in his first year after finishing high school. He later trained with the then WB Ashby and Sons empire as a Jackeroo, specialising with their livestock studs Poll Shorthorn Cattle and Merino Sheep. Whilst with Ashby’s, he was stud cattle groom for three Royal Shows, Adelaide twice and Sydney Easter Show. His training was in both meat and wool aspects of livestock production. He twice worked as an assistant judge in the SA Beef Carcass Competitions. This helped his awareness of fat and muscling and the composition of a good carcass.

Joy was brought up on a small farm near Gawler SA and moved to Glen Holme when she married Allen in 1980. Her workplace skills prior to raising four daughters were in retail sales and customer relations areas. After the last of the children left home for university, she returned to formal employment in retail sales, office administration and customer relations. She brings a good ability to evaluate information in breeding concepts and has a great eye for the best types of animals in both sheep and cattle.

Lauren (Philp) is Allen and Joy’s eldest daughter. From the time she was a toddler, approx. 18months old, she has wanted to be involved in farm activities. During her primary school years she made up her mind that she would like to get a university degree and ultimately return to the family business. She has a Bachelor of Agricultural Science, having trained at Waite and Roseworthy campuses of The University of Adelaide. She worked as an agronomist with Elders for 5 years before leaving to start her family. She trained in animal nutrition, production and breeding as well as crop and pasture production.

Damien Philp, Lauren’s husband, was brought up on an extensive sheep property on the arid side of Peterborough SA. His family runs about 1400 ewes in a wool growing enterprise. Damien spent quite a number of years of his employment driving large machinery of different types before deciding that he wanted to learn farming in our situation and joined the operation at Glen Holme in 2011. He has adapted to learning the skills required for breeding stud sheep well. His enthusiasm for driving means that he is usually involved if ram delivery is negotiated.

Damien and Lauren’s children show extreme eagerness to learn farm skills, and often help out with sheep work.