T A Field Estates top ranked team at shearing in nation’s biggest Merino trial
April 9, 2013
A mixed bloodline entered by TA Field Estates has emerged as the most productive at last week’s shearing in the nation’s biggest commercial evaluation of Merino genetics.
The Peter Westblade Memorial Merino Challenge 2012-2014 is benchmarking genetics to assess the wool and meat productivity differences of 32 bloodlines from across Australia.
Michael Field, and his manager Michael Honner, of TA Field Estates, at Jugiong, in southern NSW, had the top ranking team of wethers at the shearing in southern NSW on Friday.
Their mixed bloodline recorded an average greasy wool weight of 6.6kg, 16.9 micron and wool value (based on a five year average wool price) of $54.23.
This compared to the trial average of $45.08.
In second place was Garry and Kay Davidson, of Bairnsdale, Victoria, with their Middleview blood team of wethers, averaging 16 micron, 6.1kg greasy wool weight and a value of $53.37.
The first shearing evaluation was held on April 4-5 at the Temora Agricultural Innovation Centre.
More than 300 people attended the event to see 60 teams sourced from commercial flocks in NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania being shorn, with live data available on every fleece.
Taking out third placing was John Obst, Temora, with a Woolaroo blood team measuring 17.2 micron, 6.7kg, and a wool value of $51.02.
A Bundilla/Pooginook blood team entered by Alan Mattiske, of Stockinbingal, was in fourth place on 16.5 micron, 6.3kg and a value of $50.71
Following was Damien Hosie, Yerong Creek, with a Pastora blood team on 16.5 micron, 6.3kg and $50.68.
David and Jane Glasson, Dalgety, ranked sixth with their Hazeldean/Greendale/Middleview blood team on 16.7 micron, 6.5kg, and $50.48.
Pat and Marion Drew, Bethungra, took seventh placing with a Pastora blood team on 16.1 micron, 6.2kg and $50.45. Mal Burge, Wedderburn, and Ray and Bev Norman, Illabo, rounded out the top nine teams with their One Oak and Pooginook teams respectively.
Merino Challenge convenor Craig Wilson, of Craig Wilson and Associates, said some of the Merino industry’s largest breeders and most influential bloodlines were represented in the Challenge.
Wethers entered were split evenly into wool and meat challenges, with the wool sheep run as a single mob at Temora at 10 DSEs a hectare.
Mr Wilson said the preliminary wool results showed the genetics of a flock could lead to massive productivity variations.
“The top 20 per cent of teams averaged 25 per cent more clean wool, one micron finer, six per cent heavier body weight and $13.50 per head more fleece value,” he said.
“Breeders of Merino sheep have some powerful information at their fingertips to assist their own theories and compliment their skills in breeding.
“Australian Sheep Breeding Values, genomics, Merino challenges and sire evaluations are all examples of quality independent tools that are able to be used.”
The completed meat component of the Challenge identified strains of Merino sheep have significantly better growth rates (28 per cent) at the same age under the same nutritional opportunities.
A comprehensive report has been produced where meat traits have been measured and analysed for the 60 different teams.
“Marty Moses, Moses and Son Woolbrokers and Sally Martin, Sally Martin Consulting, play integral roles in the Merino Challenge, and without their assistance in co-ordination and data management a trial of this magnitude would be impossible,” Mr Wilson said.
“The data and information generated from the PWMMC is applicable to the whole of the Merino industry, not just the entrants,” Mrs Martin said.
“The wethers in the Challenge are a window to how your ewe flock is performing.
“Previous experiences show high performance genetics have the capacity to double the net income generated from a merino business.”
Mr Moses said the high performance team’s showed that merino wool enterprises could often out perform other land uses in terms of net profit per hectare, with a significantly lower production risk.
This Merino Challenge is the sixth benchmarking evaluation run by Craig Wilson, where the first started in 2004 and was run at Collingullie, NSW.
He has now been able to benchmark about 200 Merino businesses for both wool and meat productivity.
“The Merino Challenge enables Merino producers to get a measured analysis of where their genetics are at,” Mr Wilson said.
Results from the previous Merino Challenge showed the difference in net profit per hectare between the top and bottom teams had been 114 per cent in the first year and 77 per cent in the final year.
The Merino Challenge will run for another 11 months at the Temora Agricultural Innovation Centre.
The final shearing will take place in March, 2014 where individual data will be collected once again.
A comprehensive report will be produced in 2014 and a new Merino Challenge will kick off for another two years.
For more information contact Craig Wilson on 0428 250 982