Importing sheep genetics from New Zealand?

[CopperBeech]

Weren't they called the 'ultimate' sheep, developed by Avalon genetics?

Ultimate | Avalon Genetics

Ultimate Avalon sheep are New Zealand's high performance, low input sheep - the ultimate lifestyle sheep for farmers.

www.avalongenetics.co.nz

Funnily enough I was watching a 2012 PG Wrightsons stud tour episode last night where they visited Avalon genetics.

And yes I am sad.

 

[Global ovine]

What the last few posters are discussing was a thread on this forum a while ago called

Low Input Central Progeny Test

the original poster was @NZDan who happens to be a member of the group driving this programme.
Avalon Genetics is also involved. Most of these breeders are using various combinations of breeds that have contributed a desired trait or traits. I doubt that any yet would say they have cracked them all.
Each of the participating breeders will have some stock that already tick some of the breeding goal boxes, but this is very much a work in progress where help from research is necessary to determine heritability of some traits (i.e. speed of progress) and ensuring performance traits are not lost in gaining the functional/ethical goals.
Participation is expensive, so these breeders have to be admired for their vision.

 

[exmoorromney]

What the last few posters are discussing was a thread on this forum a while ago called

Low Input Central Progeny Test

the original poster was @NZDan who happens to be a member of the group driving this programme.
Avalon Genetics is also involved. Most of these breeders are using various combinations of breeds that have contributed a desired trait or traits. I doubt that any yet would say they have cracked them all.
Each of the participating breeders will have some stock that already tick some of the breeding goal boxes, but this is very much a work in progress where help from research is necessary to determine heritability of some traits (i.e. speed of progress) and ensuring performance traits are not lost in gaining the functional/ethical goals.
Participation is expensive, so these breeders have to be admired for their vision.

Do you think the name 'ultimate sheep' was a bit premature then?

 

[Jockers84]

Funnily enough I was watching a 2012 PG Wrightsons stud tour episode last night where they visited Avalon genetics.

And yes I am sad.

I’ll be having a look for this

 

[Jockers84]

Weren't they called the 'ultimate' sheep, developed by Avalon genetics?

Ultimate | Avalon Genetics

Ultimate Avalon sheep are New Zealand's high performance, low input sheep - the ultimate lifestyle sheep for farmers.

www.avalongenetics.co.nz

Here’s the snowline and ranger website;

Snowline Rams

 

[CopperBeech]

I’ll be having a look for this

 

[CopperBeech]

It’s a good series if you’re a saddo like me

 

[Global ovine]

Wool is dying ....... fast.

Wool that no longer has a specialist end use is dying fast. Some other wools are in desperate short supply with processors choosing to purchase via direct supply contracts with breeders/farmers whom are willing to supply to spec. And I'm not writing about Merino only as they have now got it mainly nailed, but what is called in NZ as "Crossbred wools".
Prior to the early 1970s long XBd wools like strong Romney and Leicesters were fetching large premiums if in the "paper felt" range for length (over 5 inches......I have a convenient scar below my thumb to measure these). These were used to weave long conveyor belts for paper making, but since have been replaced by synthetics. Those wools were less suited to carpet making, except long tufted weaves which , as they lacked bulk to spring back up and were semi lustrous left footprints, quite undesirable in a new carpet, a short lived fashion.
Breeding for more weight also led to increased micron, rendering a lot of strong XBd wools into the 35+ micron brackets, virtually restricting them to carpet use only. Those stronger end wools that were of bad colour (not bright and white) would not dye evenly and were limited in their use when carpet colour fashion turned to lighter shades.
I could go on.
However many in the wealthy nations are now turning against plastics derived from oil. This has seen an upsurge in woollen carpets for stronger wools and woollen fabrics replacing polypropylene for mid micron wools. Much of this drive also reflects the market attitude towards garbage landfills and micro plastics remaining in the environment.
Many fabric manufacturers have been clear in their message to sheep farmers, breed finer, whiter and bulkier. Forget breed descriptions for fibre as these were made prior to synthetics and the world has changed and will continue to change.

A lot of new and revived woollen end uses are now emerging, but don't expect to see big lifts in the commodity markets if the fibres presented are still out of spec for today's world.

Somebody better take this back to the OP.

 

[Global ovine]

Do you think the name 'ultimate sheep' was a bit premature then?

No, if that is the vision then all speed to achieve it.

 

[CopperBeech]

Wool that no longer has a specialist end use is dying fast. Some other wools are in desperate short supply with processors choosing to purchase via direct supply contracts with breeders/farmers whom are willing to supply to spec. And I'm not writing about Merino only as they have now got it mainly nailed, but what is called in NZ as "Crossbred wools".
Prior to the early 1970s long XBd wools like strong Romney and Leicesters were fetching large premiums if in the "paper felt" range for length (over 5 inches......I have a convenient scar below my thumb to measure these). These were used to weave long conveyor belts for paper making, but since have been replaced by synthetics. Those wools were less suited to carpet making, except long tufted weaves which , as they lacked bulk to spring back up and were semi lustrous left footprints, quite undesirable in a new carpet, a short lived fashion.
Breeding for more weight also led to increased micron, rendering a lot of strong XBd wools into the 35+ micron brackets, virtually restricting them to carpet use only. Those stronger end wools that were of bad colour (not bright and white) would not dye evenly and were limited in their use when carpet colour fashion turned to lighter shades.
I could go on.
However many in the wealthy nations are now turning against plastics derived from oil. This has seen an upsurge in woollen carpets for stronger wools and woollen fabrics replacing polypropylene for mid micron wools. Much of this drive also reflects the market attitude towards garbage landfills and micro plastics remaining in the environment.
Many fabric manufacturers have been clear in their message to sheep farmers, breed finer, whiter and bulkier. Forget breed descriptions for fibre as these were made prior to synthetics and the world has changed and will continue to change.

A lot of new and revived woollen end uses are now emerging, but don't expect to see big lifts in the commodity markets if the fibres presented are still out of spec for today's world.

Somebody better take this back to the OP.

What a great post. You really are a great source of knowledge, thank you.

 

[exmoorromney]

No, if that is the vision then all speed to achieve it.

But that's like naming a football team in division 5 the ultimate football team because they have aspirations of winning the Premiership, surely it would have been best to introduce the name when they had succeeded in their end goal and successfully and consistently produced the results they were striving for?

 

[Global ovine]

But that's like naming a football team in division 5 the ultimate football team because they have aspirations of winning the Premiership, surely it would have been best to introduce the name when they had succeeded in their end goal and successfully and consistently produced the results they were striving for?

There should be no end point in production animal genetic improvement. New composites don't have to be a prescribed mix or only satisfy certain criteria, but open to change as challenges are identified by using technologies and genetic variations that tick the new box.
Who 20 years ago would have thought that there are now consumers not accepting mutilations (no tail docking), no chemical inputs to prevent fly strike, no antibiotic used, lower methane emissions to assist with carbon neutral protein production, low shear force meat with high intramuscular fat that is high in omega 3, etc. etc. all things that farmers in NZ can currently get a premium for from export contracts. If there is added value to be had, then I say go for it.

If a breeder has a line of sheep under development to achieve desired goals, he/she can call them what they like to differentiate them from other lines with a different list of goals.
I think "Ultimates" is a great name, because it sparks questions about future demands that will be put on protein producers and has even sparked interest on the other side of the world.
All power to the innovators.

 

[exmoor dave]

Funnily enough I was watching a 2012 PG Wrightsons stud tour episode last night where they visited Avalon genetics.

And yes I am sad.

It’s a good series if you’re a saddo like me

Watched them all earlier in the year
Brilliant series

 

[Bury the Trash]

fabric manufacturers have been clear in their message to sheep farmers, breed finer, whiter and bulkier.

and of course that's not a new message it was about (apparently ?) 3.500 BC when it was first an ovine selection criteria ,possibly to take over from wearing bear skins or something,,,

 

[Bury the Trash]

I wonder what their Organic premium is these days, if its still as much ?

 

[Global ovine]

and of course that's not a new message it was about (apparently ?) 3.500 BC when it was first an ovine selection criteria ,possibly to take over from wearing bear skins or something,,,

Yeah, but I'm not old enough to remember that.

One only has to google up UK sheep breeds and wool types to see that nearly all the old regional breeds has a specific use for their fibre, such as Southdowns, whose fleece was sought after for hosiery. However a few centuries have elapsed since men wore stockings.

Natural fibres are coming back into vogue with many uses unimagined a decade or so ago. Hopefully something may arrive in time for higher micron wools, but those genes won't be lost, even if it takes a while.

 

[Woolless]

Wool is dying ....... fast.

Ironically, I'm not sure I agree with that (although my opinion is inconvenient for marketing purposes ). It seems to me that a sustainable, renewable resource like wool is just the type of thing that should be in demand. The trouble is, at the moment it's not and it does require more labour to run sheep which carry it and labour is scarce. @Global ovine's excellent informative posting points the way forward for those who want to persist with it and I think @Jockers84 is showing commendable foresight with his planning.

 

[Woolless]

Yeah, but I'm not old enough to remember that.

One only has to google up UK sheep breeds and wool types to see that nearly all the old regional breeds has a specific use for their fibre, such as Southdowns, whose fleece was sought after for hosiery. However a few centuries have elapsed since men wore stockings.

Natural fibres are coming back into vogue with many uses unimagined a decade or so ago. Hopefully something may arrive in time for higher micron wools, but those genes won't be lost, even if it takes a while.

Wool stockings perhaps. Nylon chafes if you wear it all weekend, particularly if your suspender belt needs adjusted

 

[unlacedgecko]

Ironically, I'm not sure I agree with that (although my opinion is inconvenient for marketing purposes ). It seems to me that a sustainable, renewable resource like wool is just the type of thing that should be in demand. The trouble is, at the moment it's not and it does require more labour to run sheep which carry it and labour is scarce. @Global ovine's excellent informative posting points the way forward for those who want to persist with it and I think @Jockers84 is showing commendable foresight with his planning.

You'll soon need to change your name to @finewool

 

[Tim W]

You'll soon need to change your name to @finewool

If you spoonerize that it becomes @winefull which may be more appropriate ?