December 14, 2025 • 7 mins
Ben Dooley reckons getting crutchers in for a day makes a lot of sense when looking at the bigger scheme of the work day.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:11):
Welcome back to the muster. John Mellencamp is the music.
He's had a lot of changes to his name over
the years, John Cougar, John Mellencamp, John Cougar, Mellencamp regardless,
a lot of timeless tunes. As we catch up with
Ben Dooley farming down at Wyndham, Sheep Beef and YouTube farmer,
get a dells Andy.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
How's it going?
Speaker 1 (00:29):
The countdown to Christmas is on? How's it going on?
Your place?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
It is on? We're going pretty well at the moment. Actually,
we went the maternals last week, got them more drinks
and paddicks, didn't have a draft out of them. I
got the terminals in on Crocky. What that was it?
I can't even remember now. Friday, I think we've got them,
got the usual crutched up. She had to draft the
lambs off. It was a challenge. We've got crutched up.
And then they've got Sewan use today and modern Saturday.
(00:54):
They got crushed actually, and ye the rest of the
hes been Shawn today and drink still the terminal as
on mum Belly were drafted off. And yeah, we're actually
sitting pretty up to date about seven days earlier than
would normally be. So yeah, bring on some good weather
in the next seven days so I can drag that
bloody boat out of the shed.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
I've seen the social your social channels around crutching the years.
It's a hell of a setup. Hell, what numbers are
we talking to get stuff done?
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Oh? That was phenomenal. Normally it would take me three
to four days, bearing in mind that obviously there's other
stuff on farm that has to be done, so you're
not doing four days. They started at ten to seven,
they stopped for smokeout nine, which started up again about
nine thirty five, and they finished at ten twenty five.
(01:41):
So I made that bang on three airs and they
did seventeen hundred and ninety one.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Yeah, you're kidding me.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Yeah, the boss man had said either I'll be done
by afternoon smoker or should have texted them and said, man,
you guys are lazyer having afternoon smoke out at ten thirty.
But no, that was that was a bit of an
eye out to that. I expected it to be a
full day, not three hours. So yeah, we got most
of a productive day after that too. It was quite good.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
So does this change your thinking towards hand piecework.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
No, look, my thinking has always been that when we
can comfortably afford to get the crutches in, we'll get
the crutches in. And I just so heavens that this year,
you know, things are looking pretty reasonable. We've already had
a reasonable track of money come in, we were comfortable
enough to do it, so we thought, no, I just
I don't want to be absolutely wrecked on Christmas Day again.
Normally we finished yearing on the twenty third and twenty
(02:31):
four the sort of a catch up day. I've never
had any time to go and do any Christmas shopping
or anything like that. Not that I want to do that,
but you know, there comes with time when you have to.
And yeah, it's always been an issue around managing to
afford it. And of course this is only a fifty
of farming on our own. So yeah, the previous four
years haven't been that conducive to adding extra cost on
(02:51):
the system. But all in all, as much as it
ends extra cost, I would say it also adds extra
profit because a few are the things that it's allowing
us to do, get a bit more work done us
where and also we're moving the terminal weaning to the
fourth of January. Everything's just fitted in real nice. So
as long as those lambs keep growing on mum and
too too many haven't been weaned by being drafted off
ten nights in a row, yeah, that should be quite
(03:13):
quite a profitable venture. Actually, so always the way we've
wanted to do it, just haven't had the ability to.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
So the lambs looking clean.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
Yeah, lambs has stayed pretty clean. Oh, the earlies that
we waned and was at the end of him are
then not, but that's because they got weaned. They had
a couple of days and then they got figed on
the first grasing young grass, so you can imagine what
they're done to the backing of them. But they look
to be doing well. But now most most of the
lambs they're ons in the in the main line terminals
are all. They're staying reasonably clean. But the crutches will
come and I think we're booking into the sixth of
(03:44):
January and give them all a good tide out to
a full crutch on them once again, probably less than
a full day to do. Three thousand and yeah, pay
the bell and be done with it, and then we're
looking to go on holiday not long after that for
teen days, so yeah, be good to get her all done.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
You're sounding like you're pretty much out with the play.
Is there ever such a thing for a farmer though, Well.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
There's always more to do. There's always gorse to spray,
there's always fences to fix, There's always that stuff. But
sometimes the boat takes priority there too, so we'll see
how it goes. But now on the main jobs, we're
certainly pre on top of things at the moment. It's
been a bit of a marathon since start in November,
but it's just that way every year. It's yeah, well
we're working on trying to make it a little bit
(04:26):
better and a bit more user friendly, I gueshould say,
But ultimately that work has to happen, doesn't it. So
you just got to get it done and then you
can focus on whatever else you want to do once
all that work is that time critical stuff is done
and out of the way.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
We look back at the twelve months in Neglar culture,
especially in the sheep and beef sector, does you'll be
pretty positive if you gave it a mark out of teen, Yeah, I.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Can't give it a teen. I can probably give it
a seven seven and a half purely because of September
and October at the time. All in all, we had
good recovering prices last year. If we look from cross
mister Christmas, you know, at September last year we were
dreading what the lad price was going to be and
it actually held up pretty well, and by the end
of the season it had come through pretty good. We
(05:11):
grew grass all summer, which was nice. Stock were pretty healthy,
crops did well. We got through winter reasonably happily. Yeah,
like I say, September October weren't that nice, But then
what a comeback November made, so we might even be
able to scratch and eight the eight out of teen
I think for the season that's been Yeah, the challenges,
but when you look at it from the season beforehand,
(05:33):
we yeah, we're just very thankful it was what it was.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
So you're doing anything over your YouTube channel Sheep Deep
South Sheaven Beef over the summer holidays.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Yeah, No, there's been quite a few videos go out
there recently. What we had hook sharing, topping crops going
in plowing, trying to think what else will put up?
There will be a sharing one go up soon. No,
there's heaps of stuff going out there. All of a sudden,
we've got heaps of stuff that we're doing and time
to film. So yeah, it's about this time of year
(06:03):
it starts getting really amped up, and then it'll do
that through it all about May, and then I've got
to come up with a panful winter to try and
keep you content. But we'll see how we go. There
no no plea to go on out there, So if
you're curious to go along and have a luck.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
You are what we call the farming influencer, aren't you.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
I don't use that being influenced by thanks I do.
You probably need to take it pretty serious. Look in
the mirror.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
Hey, good on your girls. We'll let you carry on
you Sarah and the family, have a great break, and
we'll do it all again next year. I've really appreciated
your time here on the Master in twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
No, thanks very much, Andy, I appreciate the opening you've
given me here and yet mirror Christmas to you and everyone,
having New Years to all the listeners as well. And
here let's see, let's see the next one be a
good one. Laugh out loud with ad proud because life
on the land can be a laughing matter.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
Brought to us by sheer Well Data Working to help
the livestock farmer. It used to be in a band
called the Radiators, but we were just to warm up
act remembering text Vet South to five double O nine
with your details to be in the prize to win
the two hundred dollars Vet South boucher along with a
(07:17):
little goodie bag a salute to the farmers the Muster
Christmas Giveaway. My name's Andy Muller. You've been listening to
the Muster on hack and he thinks to Peter's genet
X podcast going up shortly. Get those texts in talk tomorrow.
Welcome back to the muster. John Mellencamp is the music.
He's had a lot of changes to his name over
the years, John Cougar, John Mellencamp, John Cougar, Mellencamp regardless,
a lot of timeless tunes. As we catch up with
Ben Dooley farming down at Wyndham, Sheep Beef and YouTube farmer,
get a dells Andy.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
How's it going?
Speaker 1 (00:29):
The countdown to Christmas is on? How's it going on?
Your place?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
It is on? We're going pretty well at the moment. Actually,
we went the maternals last week, got them more drinks
and paddicks, didn't have a draft out of them. I
got the terminals in on Crocky. What that was it?
I can't even remember now. Friday, I think we've got them,
got the usual crutched up. She had to draft the
lambs off. It was a challenge. We've got crutched up.
And then they've got Sewan use today and modern Saturday.
(00:54):
They got crushed actually, and ye the rest of the
hes been Shawn today and drink still the terminal as
on mum Belly were drafted off. And yeah, we're actually
sitting pretty up to date about seven days earlier than
would normally be. So yeah, bring on some good weather
in the next seven days so I can drag that
bloody boat out of the shed.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
I've seen the social your social channels around crutching the years.
It's a hell of a setup. Hell, what numbers are
we talking to get stuff done?
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Oh? That was phenomenal. Normally it would take me three
to four days, bearing in mind that obviously there's other
stuff on farm that has to be done, so you're
not doing four days. They started at ten to seven,
they stopped for smokeout nine, which started up again about
nine thirty five, and they finished at ten twenty five.
(01:41):
So I made that bang on three airs and they
did seventeen hundred and ninety one.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Yeah, you're kidding me.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Yeah, the boss man had said either I'll be done
by afternoon smoker or should have texted them and said, man,
you guys are lazyer having afternoon smoke out at ten thirty.
But no, that was that was a bit of an
eye out to that. I expected it to be a
full day, not three hours. So yeah, we got most
of a productive day after that too. It was quite good.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
So does this change your thinking towards hand piecework.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
No, look, my thinking has always been that when we
can comfortably afford to get the crutches in, we'll get
the crutches in. And I just so heavens that this year,
you know, things are looking pretty reasonable. We've already had
a reasonable track of money come in, we were comfortable
enough to do it, so we thought, no, I just
I don't want to be absolutely wrecked on Christmas Day again.
Normally we finished yearing on the twenty third and twenty
(02:31):
four the sort of a catch up day. I've never
had any time to go and do any Christmas shopping
or anything like that. Not that I want to do that,
but you know, there comes with time when you have to.
And yeah, it's always been an issue around managing to
afford it. And of course this is only a fifty
of farming on our own. So yeah, the previous four
years haven't been that conducive to adding extra cost on
(02:51):
the system. But all in all, as much as it
ends extra cost, I would say it also adds extra
profit because a few are the things that it's allowing
us to do, get a bit more work done us
where and also we're moving the terminal weaning to the
fourth of January. Everything's just fitted in real nice. So
as long as those lambs keep growing on mum and
too too many haven't been weaned by being drafted off
ten nights in a row, yeah, that should be quite
(03:13):
quite a profitable venture. Actually, so always the way we've
wanted to do it, just haven't had the ability to.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
So the lambs looking clean.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
Yeah, lambs has stayed pretty clean. Oh, the earlies that
we waned and was at the end of him are
then not, but that's because they got weaned. They had
a couple of days and then they got figed on
the first grasing young grass, so you can imagine what
they're done to the backing of them. But they look
to be doing well. But now most most of the
lambs they're ons in the in the main line terminals
are all. They're staying reasonably clean. But the crutches will
come and I think we're booking into the sixth of
(03:44):
January and give them all a good tide out to
a full crutch on them once again, probably less than
a full day to do. Three thousand and yeah, pay
the bell and be done with it, and then we're
looking to go on holiday not long after that for
teen days, so yeah, be good to get her all done.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
You're sounding like you're pretty much out with the play.
Is there ever such a thing for a farmer though, Well.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
There's always more to do. There's always gorse to spray,
there's always fences to fix, There's always that stuff. But
sometimes the boat takes priority there too, so we'll see
how it goes. But now on the main jobs, we're
certainly pre on top of things at the moment. It's
been a bit of a marathon since start in November,
but it's just that way every year. It's yeah, well
we're working on trying to make it a little bit
(04:26):
better and a bit more user friendly, I gueshould say,
But ultimately that work has to happen, doesn't it. So
you just got to get it done and then you
can focus on whatever else you want to do once
all that work is that time critical stuff is done
and out of the way.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
We look back at the twelve months in Neglar culture,
especially in the sheep and beef sector, does you'll be
pretty positive if you gave it a mark out of teen, Yeah, I.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Can't give it a teen. I can probably give it
a seven seven and a half purely because of September
and October at the time. All in all, we had
good recovering prices last year. If we look from cross
mister Christmas, you know, at September last year we were
dreading what the lad price was going to be and
it actually held up pretty well, and by the end
of the season it had come through pretty good. We
(05:11):
grew grass all summer, which was nice. Stock were pretty healthy,
crops did well. We got through winter reasonably happily. Yeah,
like I say, September October weren't that nice, But then
what a comeback November made, so we might even be
able to scratch and eight the eight out of teen
I think for the season that's been Yeah, the challenges,
but when you look at it from the season beforehand,
(05:33):
we yeah, we're just very thankful it was what it was.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
So you're doing anything over your YouTube channel Sheep Deep
South Sheaven Beef over the summer holidays.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Yeah, No, there's been quite a few videos go out
there recently. What we had hook sharing, topping crops going
in plowing, trying to think what else will put up?
There will be a sharing one go up soon. No,
there's heaps of stuff going out there. All of a sudden,
we've got heaps of stuff that we're doing and time
to film. So yeah, it's about this time of year
(06:03):
it starts getting really amped up, and then it'll do
that through it all about May, and then I've got
to come up with a panful winter to try and
keep you content. But we'll see how we go. There
no no plea to go on out there, So if
you're curious to go along and have a luck.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
You are what we call the farming influencer, aren't you.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
I don't use that being influenced by thanks I do.
You probably need to take it pretty serious. Look in
the mirror.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
Hey, good on your girls. We'll let you carry on
you Sarah and the family, have a great break, and
we'll do it all again next year. I've really appreciated
your time here on the Master in twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
No, thanks very much, Andy, I appreciate the opening you've
given me here and yet mirror Christmas to you and everyone,
having New Years to all the listeners as well. And
here let's see, let's see the next one be a
good one. Laugh out loud with ad proud because life
on the land can be a laughing matter.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
Brought to us by sheer Well Data Working to help
the livestock farmer. It used to be in a band
called the Radiators, but we were just to warm up
act remembering text Vet South to five double O nine
with your details to be in the prize to win
the two hundred dollars Vet South boucher along with a
(07:17):
little goodie bag a salute to the farmers the Muster
Christmas Giveaway. My name's Andy Muller. You've been listening to
the Muster on hack and he thinks to Peter's genet
X podcast going up shortly. Get those texts in talk tomorrow.
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