GENETICS MERINOS Tools aplenty On the tr for Merinos M erino producers to make a balanced selection have more help of animals. It is important that than ever to lift commercial producers use profitability of theirthe index that best suits their flock, while improving animal production system. health and welfare outcomes. “An index combines many traits and helps breeders rank animals MLA Sheep Genetics Senior so they can draft out the top Development Officer Peta picks. These top picks can then Bradley said Australian Sheep be researched further by looking Breeding Values (ASBVs) allow at individual ASBVs and by visual producers to simultaneously appraisal on sale day,” Peta said. select for key production traits such as fleece weight, carcase “The benefits of buying rams of characteristics and number of higher genetic merit is multiplied lambs weaned, while putting at each joining in a self‑replacing pressure on breech cover and/or flock, as the daughters of rams breech wrinkle and other health with high genetic merit are traits such as worm egg count. retained and bred from in the flock, compounding the benefit “It’s important that commercial over time.” ■ ram buyers identify seedstock breeders who are recording in Peta Bradley Victorian sheep and wool MERINOSELECT and selecting for Sheep Genetics producer Ricky Luhrs traits they have identified in theirE: info@sheepgenetics.org.au has come a long way in breeding objective,” she said. eight years. sheepgenetics.org.au/ Peta said there are industry MERINOSELECT indexes in MERINOSELECT that From new kid on the block in the commercial breeders can use genetics.mla.com.au/merino family business to progressive producer embracing genetic technologies and best practice, Ricky’s inquiring mind has driven gains in flock performance and profit. Early on Ricky, who runs the property with his father, Russell, focused on how to cope with challenging seasons, particularly poor springs and late breaks, and how to improve lamb weaning percentages. “Our approach has been a mixture of improved genetic selection and adopting management strategies to better utilise pasture and preserve ground cover,” he said. “Containment feeding of all our sheep during late summer–autumn each year helps preserve pasture and build a winter feed wedge for lambing. “The challenge is early assessment of the stock we want to carry over, and having enough supplementary feed and cash flow to get through the 12