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

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.