AUSTRALIAN poll merino genetics are being used to drive lamb survival in one of the world’s harshest wool producing environments of the Falkland Islands.
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Semen from Australian rams with positive Australian Sheep Breeding Values for fat and muscle, and superior wool traits, will be used over 4000 ewes making up Falklands Landholdings Corporation ram breeding nucleus later this year.
Superior rams from the program will eventually be used across the organisation’s ewe flock of 70,000 sheep on the islands to the existing lamb survival average of 60 per cent.
Falklands Landholding Corporation general manager Neil Judd scoured Australian studs, unearthing a poll sire with high fat and muscle at Mumblebone Merinos at Wellington, NSW.
Mr Judd said the Corporation had used sires over the last decade with high fleece weights and growth rates but little attention had been paid to hardiness and fertility.
“Little improvement in reproductive performance, lamb survival and finishing ability had been achieved,’’ he said.
“Lambing percentages of 60 per cent are normal with young ewes generally not being mated until they are two and a half years of age.
“Lambs born struggle to gain the necessary body condition and live weights to satisfy tight meat industry specifications.’’
Falklands Landholding Corporation manages about 300,000 hectares, typically shearing 150,000 sheep and supplying 25,000 prime lambs and mutton to the local European Union approved meat works.
Mr Judd said sheep struggled to maintain liveweight and body condition during the islands’ short summer growing season, and extended cold period from late mid-autumn to late spring.
“The impact of the harsh winter is most pressing on breeding ewes and young growing stock with animals typically losing 10 to 20 per cent of their bodyweight during this period,’’ Mr Judd said.
“The effect of the weight loss then compounds the whole system and effects farming productivity and critically, profitability.’’
Mr Judd said the Corporation was keen to improve sheep reproductive performance and lamb growth/finishing while steadily continuing to lift wool traits.
“We are introducing genetics from a number of Australian poll merino studs specifically to improve hardiness and robustness through positive genetic fat and eye muscle on a plain bodied, mid micron polled Merino sheep,’’ Mr Judd said.
He said Mumblebone Merinos had been identified as one a small number of progressive Australian studs working on these traits.
About 4000 ewes have been selected for an AI program due to be completed in May and conducted by Chile veterinary specialist Jose Nogueira.
