Hazeldean’s business includes commercial flocks and herds as well as the production of cereal grains however, the main interest is the production of superior seedstock.

Hazeldean Merinos has grown from its establishment in 1865 by James Litchfield to be one of the largest, most progressive and influential flocks in Australia. It was built on Rambouillet bloodlines with occasional Riverina Peppin infusions. Today around 10,000 ewes are mated annually.

With a total flock size of more than 20,000 sheep, Hazeldean Merinos have one of the largest individual gene pools in Australia, making intense selection pressure possible in the breeding programme.

Hazeldean has been using measured performance indicators longer than any other stud in Australia. It began in 1954, when James Francis Litchfield began to weigh fleeces and select animals according to how much wool they cut and the fineness of the fleece.

This is the same information that establishes the price woolgrowers get paid when they sell their wool and is heritable and repeatable.

Hazeldean was at the helm of using Australian Sheep Breeding Values (ASBVs) and still leads the Merino industry in performance recording.

Hazeldean’s genetic trend over the last 10 years has lent to heavier and finer fleeces than the average.

Hazeldean Merino blood rams, ewes and wethers have also been independently assessed more than any other stud in Australia, entering sire evaluations, along with clients entering ewe and wether trials, benchmarking their flocks against other bloodlines. For many years, Hazeldean’s bloodline consistently performs at the top of these trials.

Hazeldean Merinos are accredited free of Brucellosis and monitored negative stage 3 (MN3) for Ovine Johnes disease.