<![CDATA[SRS Sheep, Goats, Alpacas]]> http://www.srswool.com/ <![CDATA[SRS(R) Classic Ram Sale]]> Wed, 17 Feb 2010 21:23:20 +0000 http://www.srswool.com/ram-sales/srsr-classic-ram-sale/ http://www.srswool.com/ram-sales/srsr-classic-ram-sale/ <![CDATA[Willera Poll]]> Willera Poll

Stud Willera Poll

Owners Robert & Cathie Hooke

Location Serpentine VIC 3517

Telephone (3) 5437 8240

Email robert.cathie@bigpond.com

]]> Thu, 07 Jan 2010 20:24:33 +0000 http://www.srswool.com/vic-sheep-studs/willera-poll/ http://www.srswool.com/vic-sheep-studs/willera-poll/ <![CDATA[AFJ Article Aug 2009]]>
Marks and Spencer , the large UK retailer, recently announced that it would only source non-mulesed wool for its menswear business by the end of 2010. Laurence Modiano, AWI director and wool processor, in an Open Letter to Marks and Spencer of 9 July 2009 states correctly that “the only real alternative (to mulesing) is to breed plain-breeched sheep”. But he is wrong when he says that “unless St.George (the patron saint of shepherds) performs a miracle there will be no alternative to mulesing by 2011”.

The genetic solution to mulesing is already in place and has been since 2001. In 2003 I wrote to AWI to inform them of this fact but received no reply. There are currently 40 SRS® Merino ram breeders in Australia (and several others) who do not mules their sheep and breed at least 10,000 plain-breeched Merino rams each year for use in other Merino flocks. With these Merino rams and proper guidance, it takes less than 5 years to change a wrinkly Merino flock to a wrinkle free and mules free one.

There are several thousand registered Merino studs in Australia. Why then are only such a small number of studs, albeit genetically influential ones, producing rams which provide the genetic solution to mulesing ? Why are research groups investigating whether it is possible to breed Merino sheep that do not need to be mulesed, when it has already been accomplished ?

Merino producers often say plain bodied Merino sheep lack density and produce less wool. Not true if you breed a plain bodied Merino sheep with high levels of wool fibre density and length. Between 1988-1992, I measured the wool fibre densities of Merino sires from 52 studs throughout Australia, These sires were used to breed rams which were then used in commercial flocks. The wrinkly sires, which represent then and now the vast majority of rams used in Australia had a mean density of 55 fibres per square millimetre of skin. The plain bodied SRS® sires had much higher densities, averaging 85 fibres per square millimetre of skin.

Many Merino ram breeders now claim that they are breeding wrinkle free rams but more time is needed to accomplish the task. It has been suggested by some, and also by Mr. Modiano in his letter, that another 10 to 15 years is required. The reality is that it takes less than 5 years (done properly) and plenty of time has been available. The process should have begun in the 1930s when the proof of concept of plain-breeched Merino sheep not requiring mulesing was first established, or at the very latest in 2004, when the 2010 cessation of mulesing was announced.

Mulesing sheep as a means of preventing breech strike is, and always has been, an excuse for breeding Merino sheep which have wrinkly or “ribby” skins. Such sheep are also susceptible to body strike which can ravage these flocks in wet summers. Sheep that need mulesing to prevent breech strike are also the sheep that need chemical fleece treatments to prevent body strike. Conversely, plain-bodied sheep with high fibre density and length that do not require mulesing, are naturally resistant to fleece rot and body strike.

We held three highly successful workshops with Landmark in New South Wales and South Australia in 2008 to demonstrate to Merino producers how simple and quick the genetic transition to a mules free flock is. Each workshop was attended by more than 100 Merino producers. This is an important means of stimulating industry change.

For more information, I would encourage people to read the series of three articles I wrote in the May, July and October 2008 issues of Australian Farm Journal, or visit our website, www.srswool.com

Jim Watts
The SRS Company Pty. Ltd.,
P.O. Box 2604,
Bowral.NSW. 2576.
tel: 02 48 622050
email: srs@hinet.net.au ]]> Thu, 27 Aug 2009 07:45:03 +0000 http://www.srswool.com/newsletters/afj-article-aug-2009/ http://www.srswool.com/newsletters/afj-article-aug-2009/ <![CDATA[Challara]]> Stud Challara Owners Ron & Denna Wilkinson Location Dandaragan WA 6507 Telephone (08) 9652 9062 Email challara@bluemaxx.com.au
Mulesing ceased 2007 (in part) Annual rainfall (mm) 550mm * Fleece weight (kgs) 7.0 * Fibre diameter (microns) 19.5 * Lambing (%) 110
* Fleece weight, fibre diameter and lambing figures for adult ewes ]]> Sun, 23 Aug 2009 01:00:28 +0000 http://www.srswool.com/wa-sheep-studs/challara/ http://www.srswool.com/wa-sheep-studs/challara/ <![CDATA[Calcaling Poll]]> Stud Calcaling Poll Owners Athol & Sandy Ventris Location Mukinbudin WA 6479 Mobile 0428 471 197 Email ventris@bigpond.com
Mulesing ceased 2008 Annual rainfall (mm) 300 * Fleece weight (kgs) 7.0-8.0 * Fibre diameter (microns) 18.0-19.0 * Lambing (%) 110-120
* Fleece weight, fibre diameter and lambing figures for adult ewes ]]> Sun, 23 Aug 2009 00:59:48 +0000 http://www.srswool.com/wa-sheep-studs/calcaling-poll/ http://www.srswool.com/wa-sheep-studs/calcaling-poll/