Multi-purpose Merinos the way forward for breeders
Breeding for fat and growth, alongside traditional high quality wool, is the way forward for some Merino sheep breeders.
A FOCUS on breeding Merino sheep with growth, fat and muscle, alongside traditional high quality wool, is helping tackle the seasonal and market risk associated with running a Merino flock for wool production.
Mooralla sheep producer Ricky Luhrs is one of the many producers breeding Merino sheep that have the ability to supply wool, lamb and mutton, and have surplus ewes to sell.
Mr Luhrs selects for “a mixture of growth, fat, muscle and wool quality” to produce animals with improved reproduction rates that allow the business to manipulate stocking rates quicker depending on seasonal risks.
“Really we’re trying to breed a maternal Merino,” he said.
“To try and balance the fat, muscle and wool of the animals so there’s less stress on them to get by in the tough times.”
Mr Luhrs runs 5000 breeding ewes on his property near Cavendish and has seen a great improvement in reproduction rates. “Our marking rates have gone from 75 per cent to 105 per cent.”
Selecting for a longer staple length and high fleece weight rams has also meant Mr Luhrs is cutting more wool and now shears every eight months rather than the traditional 12 month shearing.
“The wool is about 19 micron to target the next to skin and activewear market and we’re targeting staple length,” he said.
Violet Town sheep producer Lyndon Kubeil is also selecting for plainer bodied Merinos with early maturity and higher muscle and fat percentage to supply multiple markets.
“I’m averaging about 12DSE to the hectare in 500mm rainfall area,” Mr Kubeil said.
“We want to try and get a Merino wether up and finished at six to seven months, depending on the season, to get about 60-70mm of wool off them and then turn them off in to 18-22kg carcasses,” he said.
“It is a whole system approach, and benefit.
“It is the ability to get the animals off faster and make better use of spring growth and also take advantage of shorter growing periods as well.”