Our Breeding Programme

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Our Breeding Programme

Objectives and Aims

Glenwood's breeding objectives are simply to breed SRS® type sheep which are highly productive, profitable and easy care. This now includes not have to be mulesed.

• Selection of sheep is based on the following criteria -

1. Structure, frame, length of body and body weight
2. Skins must be thin and soft
3. Wools must be long, soft, glossy white and free of suint
4. All ewes must be fertile and docile.

• The aim is to produce 7 kg of 18.5 micron wool off ewes which have a lamb every year
• Always remaining commercially focused.

The Programme

Glenwood's focus has been about getting the ewe base correct through selective joining and a vigorous classing programme, which has concentrated on getting structure, fertility, skins and density and length of wools moving in the direction the stud ultimately wants to be. This in turn has allowed true genetic expression and a snow balling effect through the whole flock.

All stud ewes each year are single sire mated through the classing box by Dr. Jim Watts. The ewes are correctively mated with the rams to get maximum potential from both the sire and the dam.

All stud ewes have been mothered up since 2005 by drifting the ewes off as they lamb and tagging and recording information such as whether it was a twin or single and what sort of mother the ewe was. This information will be used by Sheep Genetics Australia to evaluate individual lambs.

This process is very important to identify superior genetics and also to adjust for birth type (single, twin or triplet). By identifying the most potent dams it is hoped to one day undertake a successful ET program. The ewes mothering ability is highly heritable such that the best mothers stand out year after year.

All ewes are wet and dried at lamb marking to identify and cull ewes which are inherently bad mothers. A calm docile ewe is always going to be a better mother and these types of ewe again and again stand out.

Sheep Genetics Australia

Glenwood has entered information into the Sheep Genetics Australia (SGA) database for the previous 5 years. It is a national genetic information and evaluation service for meat and wool traits. It was developed jointly by AWI and the MLA.

SGA is the world's largest sheep genetic information source with over one million merinos on record.

By collecting data for growth, carcass, reproductive and disease information, the aim is to have a greater understanding of the genetic relationships among meat, wool, reproductive and disease resistant characteristics.

Animals are ranked using Australian Sheep Breeding Values or ASBV's for various traits which take into account environmental and heritability variations and link sires from one region or stud to another.

These ASBV's can then be used by the stud breeder and commercial clients to select sheep which best suit their breeding objectives. For each drop there are over 50,000 animals measured with linkage allowing growers to compare studs as a whole or sheep individually.

ASBV's should only be used as a guide. We still are selecting a sheep using visual appraisal as in the SRS® breeding objectives including softness and length of wool, thinness of skin and outlook such as neck extension, and structure.

 

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