Guardians of the flock, Maremma program thrives at Ballandean Station
A pastoral history at Ballandean Station
Settled in 1840 by Robert Ramsay Mackenzie, Ballandean Station has stood the test of time, operating on Queensland’s Granite Belt for 185 years. Some may say not an awful lot has changed in that time, the granite traprock country remains rugged in part, but suited to the rearing of livestock.
By 1844 Mackenzie was forced to file for bankruptcy and so the leasehold of Ballandean Station was passed to the then Station Manager, Henry Hayor Nicol. Nicol left his mark on the station by building one of the finest homesteads in the district, complete with covered ceilings, early French doors, mud rendered walls, a detached kitchen, milking shed, cream house, stables and a blacksmith’s forge. He was also the first to plant grape vines from France, an early investor in the vineyards that the Granite Belt would be widely known for in years to come. By the 1870s Ballandean Station covered some 133,202 acres and in 1872, part of the land, including the homestead and surrounding buildings was sold to Robert Reid Cunninghame Robertson. It would then pass hands to James Fletcher in 1889 who cleared much of the run and built the first dingo fence on the property in an attempt to protect the Ballandean flock from predators.
Ballandean Station remained in the Fletcher family until 1973 when it was purchased by Tim O’Neil. By this time the homestead and outbuildings were in a dilapidated state. O’Neil undertook a restoration project to bring life back to the old station. Upon the completion of the restoration project in 1979, the station was sold to Warwick Freeman. Ballandean Station remains owned by the Freeman family to this day.
Leaving their mark, the start of the Maremma project at Ballandean Station
Each owner of Ballandean Station has left their mark upon the property, from the grand homestead and outbuildings to dingo fences to restoration projects. Today, Ballandean Station is managed by Wayne Wayte, on behalf of the Freeman family, where he too sets about leaving his mark on the legacy of Ballandean Station with a project he hopes will influence pastoral operations across Australia.
For many years, pastoralists at Ballandean Station have battled against predators and their destructive influence on livestock. James Fletcher had the right idea back in 1889 with his early dingo fence, however, the vast size of the station and the rugged terrain made fencing extremely difficult to erect and maintain, not to mention expensive. Although exclusion fencing remains part of the protection program of the sheep, it was clear that something else needed to be done, to prevent massive losses occurring and to make sure the sheep operation at Ballandean Station remained viable.
Pictured: Walcrow Me-Go
Station Manager, Wayne Wayte, is an experienced stockman and renowned breeder of working Border Collies under his prefix Walcrow. Wayne could see the devastating effects the wild dogs were having on the livestock, recalling in 2018 the
lambing percentage was decimated by wild dogs. It was clearly time for action.
For many years, Wayne had been fascinated by the capabilities of Livestock Guardian Dogs, especially the Maremma. So, in 2019, after much research and consideration, Wayne picked up his first two Maremma pups from "Old Munbilla", near Grafton, named Old Munbilla Freeman and Old Munbilla Buddy.
A brief history of the Maremma
The Maremma, or Maremmano-Abruzzese Sheepdog to use their full name, were originally bred in Italy and have been used for livestock protection for thousands of years, with a strong instinct to protect their livestock from predators such as wolves or bears in regional Italy. Their characteristics are derived from a mix of the protection dogs of the Abruzzo region, a mountainous to coastal region located to the north east of Rome, and the guardian dogs of the Maremma Plains of southern Tuscany.
Physically, the Maremma is selectively bred for a protective role, typically working in packs of three to four to deter predators via their presence, with physical confrontation being a surprisingly rare occurrence. Though, if it did come to confrontation, their large size and muscular build would give the Maremma every advantage, with a male Maremma typically weighing between 35kg and 45kg and standing 65cm to 73cm at the shoulder, whilst the female Maremma weighs in at 30kg to 40kg, standing a little shorter than her male counterpart at 60cm to 68cm at the shoulder.
The early training of the Maremma pack at Ballandean Station; bonding and learning
The rugged and undulating country of Ballandean Station, along with the presence of wild dogs in the area, called for extra measures of protection for the flock on the station. This led Wayne Wayte to invest in his first pups from "Old Munbilla". What
would ensue was a series of life-changing lessons in the training and management of the livestock guardian dogs as well as the evolution of a deep passion for Maremmas in Wayne that has grown over the past six years.
Over the years, Wayne has learned the intricacies of how the Maremma operates. Though his lessons were a little on the unconventional side, the lack of literature or training available to owners in Australia led Wayne to take his own path to learning. Wayne lived out in the bush with the dogs, he observed their behaviours from living with them, walking through the grazing area them, and fending off potential threats to their livestock. For Wayne, a strong relationship between him and his dogs emerged, one that he would nurture with his own methods of training for years to come.
For Wayne, the clear pathway to success with working Maremmas is in the bonding process from 8 to 16 weeks of age. This is a critical period in any pup's life, one at which they learn and lay the foundations to foster the traits for a trustworthy guardian dog.
The Maremma is a highly intelligent breed, one that will mature quickly and use their independent thinking when allowed to do so. From 8 weeks of age, Wayne will introduce the pups to livestock to begin the bonding process. The stock are carefully selected, with Wayne choosing stock that will not overrun the young pup and knock their confidence but also stock that will not be too timid. Usually pups are bonded to maiden ewes that will become part of the flock the pup will go on to protect throughout their life. A Maremma will form a very strong bond to what they consider “their” livestock. Thus, in the early stages of training, owners should choose livestock that will remain with the Maremma throughout their training and into their working life. Though the primary bond of the Maremma is
to their livestock, human contact remains essential in the early days, making the pups comfortable in the company of people. As with any working dogs, the training of working Maremmas is far removed from that of a pet, and something that should be kept in mind in the early stages of their training, with the ultimate goal being to raise a dog that displays attentive, trustworthy and protective behaviours towards their livestock.
Between the ages of four and six months, their training dictates more and more time spent in the holding paddock with their livestock, settling near them and reinforcing positive social behaviours. At this time strong protective instincts are developing though the pup is still not old enough to protect their livestock on their own. When the pup reaches their ‘teen years', at 6 to 12 months of age, they may become playful with the stock. It is imperative that this is corrected. By 12 to 24 months of age, a Maremma can be turned out with their bonded stock as well as additional livestock, and can include older mentor Maremmas. At Ballandean Station,
Wayne runs a team of 13 Maremmas, with a ratio of one dog to 50 sheep. The accepted standard is one dog per 100 sheep, but the rugged, undulating terrain at Ballandean Station calls for a higher dog to livestock ratio, to allow the Maremmas to perform effectively.
Learning from across the globe: back to the origin of the Maremma
What became very clear to Wayne as he embarked on his Maremma training journey was the evident lack of literature or discussion on effective training of working Maremmas in Australia. This is not surprising as so many Maremmas end up re-homed or fail, oftentimes due to failures in their training at a young age. Wayne found one publication on the subject, which laid the foundations of training for guardian dogs, the Best Practice Manual for use of Livestock Guardian Dogs (2010) by Linda van Bommel, written for the Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre. The training principles Wayne relied upon thereafter lent on his own experience as a dog breeder, stockman and past training of working dogs.
Today, Wayne takes the time to post examples of his working Maremmas at Ballandean Station to social media. For Ballandean Station, since introducing the Maremmas as one part of a larger project to protect their flock from wild dogs, sheep losses have ceased completely, and their lambing percentage is up to 125% which they hope to increase by improvement to their ewes and breeding stock.
Ballandean Station Manager Wayne Wayte with working Maremma, Old Munbilla Freeman
Calling on more training for producers using Maremmas on farm
To expand on his knowledge on the breed and their training, this year Wayne will travel back to the origin of the Maremma, to Italy to learn more from producers that have utilised the working Maremma for centuries. Wayne will also visit with individuals in Italy who have developed specialised training programs for producers in Italy. They work with owners to choose the right pup, developing individualised training strategies and continue working with owners to ensure the success of the working Maremma in their operation. Currently, no such program exists in Australia, though there is a clear need for experienced handlers to share their knowledge with producers who look to take on a working Maremma for the protection of their livestock.
Wayne’s passion for his dogs and advocating for the working Maremma is clear to anyone who spends time at Ballandean Station, or for those who come across his posts on social media. It is a passion that has developed based on the needs of the station and the livestock that have come to depend on their guardian dogs for protection. This wild dog issue is a growing concern for producers on the Granite Belt, as well as nationally. We look forward to following Wayne’s journey with his training program and advocacy of Working Maremmas.