A SINGLE 48mm fall of rain in February has been the only reprieve for the Philp family at Angledool, 85km west of Longreach, who are in the process of selling down their sheep numbers.
The resulting green pick meant that stock went off the cottonseed supplement the Philps have been putting out since before Christmas, but have been back on it since early April.
Norm and Rose Philp usually run about 3000 sheep while daughter and son-in-law Mary and Wade Timms have 1000 head at Angledool, but each has been forced to lighten off.
Last week they sold three to four-and-a-half year old wethers to meatworks for $27/head, but have to keep them on the place for another month.
They put young wethers up for sale on AuctionsPlus this week and passed them in for $36, August shorn.
“They cut 5.5kg last year – it breaks your heart to sell them but they have been living on hope long enough,” Rose told Queensland Country Life.
Norm described 2012 as “not even average”, which put them well behind the eight ball when summer rain failed to eventuate.
He is looking at having to close up some country in coming months as dams dry up.
“I’m not sure what will run out first – the feed or the water,” he said.
He added that further west of Longreach was in an even worse state.
Being so dry going into winter is his main concern.
* Queensland Country Life newspaper is on sale from Thursday.