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ON PROPERTY SALE

Wednesday 23rd November 2011
1:00pm – viewing from 11:00am
Light lunch provided

Click here for catalogue

SKIN VALUE

When skins are contributing about $20-$24 to the lamb income it is worth identifying the best skin types in your sires. Through Mark Webb (Webb & Woodiwiss), we invited Brendan Viney from JBS Australia, Longford plant to score all 200 flock rams prior to cataloguing. This year we have included his skin value score for all rams catalogued.

• 1 score - 58-60+ (very good skins/density)
  very suitable to use over all ewe breeds (Xbred and merino).
• 2 score – 54-58 (good skins/still style within the fleece)
• 3 score – 48-54 (downsy type of wool – not the style of the 1 &2 scores)
  is still suitable over a merino ewe.
• 4 score (Damaged/dermatitis/yolky)
• 5 score (very poor wool)
  

Many breeders are now retaining their WS x ewe lambs as maternal replacements. The WSx from either a Merino or XBred ewe makes an excellent 1st cross for meat, fertility & milk production. Add the clean points & white skins, and the higher scored rams as indicated above and you are also adding the benefit of wool production for this first x ewe and skin value for its progeny.

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1st Embryo Transplant (ET) programme at Spring Valley

Four ewes were selected for our first ET program.
See details...

 

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WHITE SUFFOLK EWE LAMBS AS MATERNALS

250 commercial ewe lambs sold as maternals to lamb at 1 year. They sold for $200 each this year.

 

COMMERCIAL WHITE SUFFOLK X LAMBS

First draft of 150 White Suffolk Commercial Lambs sold at 6 months of age,
averaging 29.5 kilos.

 

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SHEEP CRC - GENOMICS PILOT PROJECT

- Young Sires Research Program

We have nominated three young rams for this research program.

About the project

Many traits and ASBVs for Australian sheep breeds may soon be enhanced by predictions from DNA samples taken from young animals. This technology offers potential benefits by reducing generation intervals and assisting the selection of rams for difficult to measure traits. Early results from analysis of Sheep CRC Information Nucleus, Sheep Genomics (Falkiner) and Sheep Genetics data shows much promise, and it is now time to validate testing young rams in industry breeding programs.
The Sheep CRC is partnering with Sheep Genetics and MLA to pilot the use of 50k SNP genotyping to predict a range of breeding values for Australian rams. The key purpose of this project is to work with innovative breeders to confirm the accuracy, genefits and best ways to incorporate and use these new tools in breeding programs. More information...