While ram selection alone can yield significant improvement selection of ewes as well will accelerate progress.
The key step you should take before selecting ewes for breeding is to set your breeding objective. This provides the standard against which you will assess your ewes.
When selecting for a trait or characteristic, the most effective way is to directly measure or assess that characteristic. For example, you can estimate fibre diameter based on crimp frequency and handle, however, this is not very accurate compared to directly measuring a mid-side or pin-bone sample of fleece.
However, you must also weigh up the cost of individual testing of traits compared to visual estimates with the improvement in selection accuracy you will achieve.
Generally, it is cost-effective to measure the fibre diameter and fleece weight of hoggets in fine wool flocks and some medium wool flocks. Before doing this, you can assess the benefit of making direct measurement of fibre diameter, fleece weight and body weight (or combinations of these) for your sheep by using the Sheep CRC’s On-Farm Fibre Measurement Calculator (OFFM Calculator) - click on the 'Products and Training Resources' tab below to download this calculator.
For prime lamb breeders (both Merino and other breeds), weigh potential ewe replacements as an aid to selection.
Note that a key element for selection is having plenty of ewes from which to select. This means that your flock needs to be achieving high reproductive success shown by high lambmarking and weaning rates.
For visual traits a subjective score should be used (e.g. wrinkle score as an indicator of flystrike susceptibility). A booklet on Visual Sheep Scores is available by clicking on the 'Products and Training Resources' tab below.
Choose from the tabs below to find more detailed information.
ASBVs stand for Australian Sheep Breeding Values. They are the national language for benchmarking sheep based on their genetic merit and are produced by Sheep Genetics. ASBVs describe a sheep’s breeding value for a trait, e.g. fleece weight or body weight, and express the relative breeding value of sheep across different breeding flocks of that breed (or across breeds in the case of Terminal breeds). They are equivalent to estimated breeding values (EBVs) used in other livestock industries e.g. BREEDPLAN in the beef cattle industry.
The Merino Sheep Breeding Trainer Guide has been developed by Sheep CRC and Meat & Livestock Australia to allow vocational and education trainers (primarily in the TAFE, Agricultural College and School systems) to deliver up to date knowledge and skills in the area of Merino breeding to their students. It is designed to be used in conjunction with three Power Point presentations, produced by the Sheep CRC on developing a breeding objective, selecting a stud and rams and selecting ewes.
The OFFM calculator assists commercial wool producers to determine whether fleece measurement is likely to be a profitable practice for their flock. Using basic information on flock structure and performance, the calculator shows the likely profit from four areas of production: hogget clip preparation, adult clip preparation, ewe selection and wether selection. The returns are shown in a simple graphical format over a ten year period and offer some suggested changes for increasing profit by altering structure or selection method.
Selection Assist enables producers or their advisors or classers to compare results from different breeding directions, so as to choose which is most applicable to their flock. The program predicts the likely outcome of selected breeding objectives. It also shows the impact of reproductive rates and where the progress can come from within a flock.
Visually assessed traits are included in the breeding objective of all stud and commercial sheep breeders, regardless of their target market or environment.
Sheep Genetics provides you with practical information on the genetic potential of your sheep. Sheep are ranked according to various production characteristics using Australian Sheep Breeding Values (ASBVs) across flock or Flock Breeding Values (FBVs) within flock. See Sheep Genetics brochures available for download below. To download other publications click here.
Download the genetics publications below.
This Conference combined world class science with its practical application.
This Conference combined world class science with its practical application.
These proceedings are from the showcase conference of the Australian Sheep Industry CRC 'Wool meets Meat - tools for a modern sheep enterprise' conference held in Orange (NSW) during 2006.
A new training initiative is being rolled out nationally to help sheep producers combine top genetics with superior ewe feed management to boost reproduction rates and productivity. West Australian producers have an opportunity to attend a Bred Well Fed Well workshop, funded by Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) and Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) through their Making More from Sheep initiative. The workshop was developed by...
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http://www.sheepcrc.org.au/information/news/bred-well-fed-well-is-coming-to-western-australia-08-02-2012.php
While a wetter than average summer in South Australia has raised the prospects of flystrike problems for many graziers, Phil and Ann Hammat are confident their flock will come through unscathed. The Hammats, of Baderloo Poll Merinos, Spalding, have been selecting for a plain body type and proactively applying preventative chemical treatments since they ceased mulesing in 2004. Their flock of 900 stud Poll Merino ewes and 350...
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http://www.sheepcrc.org.au/information/news/better-breeding-delivers-against-flystrike-sa-case-study-24-01-2012.php
In the midst of Western Australia’s tough fly season, Dandaragan sheep producer Peter Wilkinson is confident his sheep will stand up to the test thanks to a long-term investment in genetics. Together with parents Ron and Deanna, Mr Wilkinson operates the Challara Merino Stud, which first embraced breeding for body and wool types that were less susceptible to flies almost 20 years ago. “We were seeing a lot of fleece rot...
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http://www.sheepcrc.org.au/information/news/better-breeding-delivers-against-flystrike--wa-case-study-19-12-2011.php
A new wave of young researchers from the Sheep CRC is building future R&D capacity for the thriving Australian sheep industry. Postgraduate researcher Sam Clark is one of 31 doctorate and masters students undertaking the Sheep CRC postgraduate education program.
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http://www.sheepcrc.org.au/information/news/new-wave-of-sheep-genetic-researchers-deliver-for-the-future-06-07-2011.php
