An Opportunity for Simultaneous Improvement of Wool and Meat Traits in Merinos

Title
An Opportunity for Simultaneous Improvement of Wool and Meat Traits in Merinos
Publication Date
2002
Author(s)
Clarke, BE
Ball, Alex
Brown, Daniel
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Wool Research Organisation of New Zealand
Place of publication
New Zealand
UNE publication id
une:3132
Abstract
Continued fluctuations in the wool market have meant that many Merino breeders have become interested in improving returns from the prime-lamb side of their sheep enterprise. Merino ram breeders throughout Australia are being given the opportunity to simultaneously improve wool and meat quality and quantity while also improving reproduction rates and resistance to internal parasites. Through participation in the Merino Validation Project, 50 ram breeders will receive across-flock estimated breeding values (EBVs) for wool, meat, reproduction and disease traits. Over the next 2 years, another 60 ram breeders will be involved in the trial. The Merino Validation Project is an industry-supported project aiming to improve the accuracy of selection for carcase traits in Merinos while maintaining or improving wool production. The on-farm data that is collected throughout the project will be used to estimate the genetic correlations between meat, wool, reproduction and disease traits in Merinos and to update the heritabilities for these traits.
Link
Citation
Wool Technology and Sheep Breeding, 50(4), p. 596-601
ISSN
1832-8679
0043-7875
Start page
596
End page
601

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