The Smith family have contributed genetics to inject wool quality, weaning weight and resilience into the Mongolian sheep flock.
A high performing Merino sire across wool and carcase traits in the New England Merino Sire Evaluation is now making a genetic impact on the harsh steppes of Mongolia.
A 2020 drop ram entered by Norm and Pip Smith, Glenwood Merinos, Wellington, NSW, has emerged from 14 other industry sires in the sire evaluation trial at Armidale as a leader in resilient traits.
Semen from the SRS® (Soft Rolling Skin) ram, Glenwood 201113, was also used in an embryo transfer program in Mongolia for implantation into Mongolian ewes to improve the Merino type, with progeny already on the ground.
Mongolia may be a leading player in the global market for cashmere, but the nation’s 15 native sheep breeds produce a fleece too thick and coarse for garment production.
Using a national nucleus flock, the Mongolian Government and its partners have undertaken a fine wool sheep breeding project to establish skills and genetic resources to enable the expansion of the fine wool flock and quality in the country. A total of 5230 doses of Merino semen and 148 embryos were exported from Australia under the project in 2022-2023.
According to Adventist Development and Relief Agency Mongolia, Australian technicians worked with local vets to inseminate 305 ewes with a 65 per cent pregnancy rate and a 90 per cent lamb survival rate this year.
Mr Smith said feedback from the New England sire evaluation trial reinforced the ram’s selection to inject wool quality, weaning weight and resilience into the Mongolian sheep producing wool in a harsh and variable environment.
Trial data revealed progeny of Glenwood 201113 performed highly around the relationship of low wrinkle and high fleece weight.
They placed first for the highest number of tops at post weaning, greasy fleece weight, wool character and had the lowest curvature (boldest) at post weaning.
The Glenwood 201113 progeny recorded the lowest breech wrinkle, body wrinkle and fleece rot at post weaning, and the second lowest number of culls at post weaning. They also placed second for FD CV (fibre diameter coefficient of variation) at post weaning, and third for post weaning weight.
“Most pleasing was the classers grade with the highest number of tops at post weaning and the second lowest number of culls at post weaning. He had the lowest colour, fleece rot and body wrinkle – embodying easy care and resilience in the Merino,” Mr Smith said.
Australian Merino Sire Evaluation Association trials provide the opportunity for objective comparison to be made between rams from different studs by evaluating their progeny for sheep type, structure, wool production and carcase traits.
The 2023 drop evaluates 15 sires including two link sires, with 50 ewes joined per sire.
The host flock of Cressbrook blood ewes average 16.5 micron and the progeny are all run together in the same environmental conditions at Armidale in a 675mm rainfall zone. Lambs were marked in October 2023, weaned in December 2023, weighed and mid side sampled in February 2024 and shorn in April.
The Smiths run 1100 SRS® stud and 2100 commercial ewes on their 2800ha property at Wellington.
Each ewe is allocated to one ram either naturally or AI with the best six ewes selected for an ET program.
The family is diligent with data and performance recording with Sheep Genetics awarding Glenwood with a 5 Star data quality score. They carry out their own fibre testing with an OFDA 2000 to evaluate micron, coefficient of variation (CV), length, alignment, and density.
“The joinings to correctively mate are very precise thanks to years of pedigree and trait measurements and genomics on each ewe,” Mr Smith said.
“At lamb marking, all stud lambs are DNA tested to give full pedigree, higher accuracy ASBVs and poll status.
“For the first 12 months the rams and ewes are run as one mob so we can collect all the data to produce accurate and repeatable breeding values for people to use in the commercial world.
“Genomics now contribute to 70 per cent of our breeding values – we made a decision three years ago to DNA test all of our stud ewes and the progeny each year.
“It is a large cost, but the ongoing incremental change has given us 55-65 per cent accuracy at weaning time.”
Mr Smith said SRS® Genetics members were encouraged to exchange genetics under the Young Sire Program to achieve linkages between the flocks.
“We also encourage the studs to enter rams in the sire evaluation schemes across Australia,” he said.
At the forefront of innovation, Glenwood has hosted workshops on low stress stock handling, genetics, skin biology, natural capital, and holistic management.
Glenwood will host a workshop titled “A vision for a new generation Merino” on Monday, August 26 from 9.30am at the woolshed.
Guest speakers will include Andrew Woods, Independent Commodity Services, with an analysis of the wool market, Colin Feilen, Atlas Carbon and Maia Grazing, on the upside of running a soil carbon project, and David Mahilraj, Lana Trading, outlining alternative wool marketing solutions.
For more information on the workshop contact Norm Smith on 0477 31 665 or glenwoodmerinos.com.au