Merino Ultra Fine

FOUNDATION.

The finest micron ewes in the stud and in our ultrafine commercials were screened to form our Ultrafine Section. Ewes were predominately Merryville blood.
Our Ultrafine commercial ewes were started in 1983 by screening our 10,000 ewe flock and using rams from the Ultrafine Merino Company (Ultrafine JV).
Ultrafine JV was founded about the same time by screening the ewe flocks of 12 properties. Again these were predominately Merryville bloodlines.
NOTE: The Ultrafine JV flock is now run at Earnscleugh.
Across both flocks numerous outside rams were tried but no ram has been found that will compete for micron and cut for a long time so the flocks are virtually closed.

AIMS.

Our aim is to reduce micron, hold fleece weight and body weight, and increase staple strength.
The wool type aim is a free growing, sheeny, nourished, deep crimping style, while pushing length and crimp frequency right up to the limits dictated by the Italian market.

PERFORMANCE.

STUD EWES. (mixed age 2 tooth & older.)

Micron. 14.79
GFW 4.65 kg (Excluding crutching’s & 2 tooths only 10 months wool)
LW 56 to 63 kg average. 2 tooths 50 to 55.

MANAGEMENT.

1.  ASBV’s with Merino Select, Australia.
2. All lambs recorded to sire and dam.
3. Wool weights and micron recorded every year. Plus 15 months on sale rams.
4.  Staple strength on 11 month shearing.
5. WEC tested.
6. Scrotal Measurements.
7. Footrot and Cold tolerance DNA tested. Sires and selected sale rams.
8. Commercial 2 tooth ewes screened and top performance and type ewes
   (approx. 1%) brought into progeny testing group. These ewes sires are
   identified by DNA.
9. Ewes classed every year by Sandy MacKirdy, Hamilton, Victoria.
10. Ewes kept on as high a plane of feeding as possible to prevent hunger fineness
    affecting selection decisions.