Breeding directions at Merinotech WA Poll stud open day

A gathering of Merino sheep producers in Kojonup last Thursday looked into breeding directions aided by performance-measured data. The Merinotech (WA) Poll stud Open Day had 32 visitors who discussed various issues facing the industry including pushing the boundaries on growth and lambing percentages, profitability per hectare, eating quality, and non-mulesing. Merinotech (WA) Poll stud manager Ian Robertson said there was reasoning behind his selection of higher post-weaning weight and number of lambs weaned, both measured growth traits included in Australian Sheep Breeding Value formulations. “These traits need to be higher if the industry incurs further loss of numbers into the live export trade and more lambs are sold into the local abattoirs,” he said. “But these big production gains could eventually have an underlining problem.” Mr Robertson said with Merinotech’s vision of increased profitability per hectare, he had seen a gradual decrease in intramuscular fat since 2015. “Pushing PWT and NLW has a negative correlation to IMF and Shear Force, the two essential eating quality traits,” he said. “Intramuscular fat increases tenderness and juiciness of our dual-purpose sheepmeat qualities.” Mr Robertson said consumers of sheepmeat paid premium prices and would turn away from the product if it was tough and dry to eat. “Merinotech continues to monitor IMF and SF through genomic testing, with accuracies of 40 per cent,” he said. “Our levels are within acceptable standards and some of our rams are leading the way in eating quality, but we must maintain a balance between increased production and meat product acceptance.” Mr Robertson said 12 leading Merinotech semen sires averaged a Dual Purpose Plus ASBV index of 211. “Our DP+ index is quite high to industry standards and therefore we can afford to adjust it lower if need be to gain favourable eating quality levels,” he said. Mr Robertson said the Merinotech adult flock averaged 19 microns. “We haven’t pushed fibre diameter, but have made gains in clean-fleece weight,” he said. “We are restricting coarse fibres, but we don’t select on coefficient of fibre diameter.” Mr Robertson said he was unsure of the direction of woollen garment demand to make any sound assessment on fibre alignment quality. “Our stable length is making good progress,” he said. “We are mostly selecting on DP+ index, which includes PWT and NLW.” Mr Robertson said taking on the responsibility of running a stud meant looking several years ahead. “We have to plan to stop mulesing, particularly after New Zealand has done so,” Mr Robertson said. “The RSPCA has accepted that pain relief is only an interim for the Australian industry to completely stop the practise of mulesing.” Mr Robertson said plain-bodied Merinotech sheep were selected for no-breech wrinkle and no dags.