Poll Merinos

• 1500 Stud Poll Merino Ewes

• Main Sires Since 1999 - LEAHCIM

• Selling 575 rams Annually

• Ewe Average Micron - 19.4

• Ewe Average Fleece Weight - 4.5kg (shearing every 6 months!)

 

LEAHCIM POLL MERINO STUD 2010 AND BEYOND

 

There are many changes within the Australian Sheep industry which will impact on all our future breeding goals and management decisions.

Mulesing

(is one of these changes)
Leahcim has not mulesed a lamb for 6 years, with many positive spin offs. The selection for sheep with the right carcase shape, positive muscle ASBV’s, rounded butt shape; right type of soft, even skin, no wrinkles running down the back leg has made the non mulesing transition very easy.
The advantages of not mulesing are enormous and can be done without clips, intradermal injection and selecting for bare breach is not essential. Genetics are the best, cheapest and most sustainable long term future for our sheep industry in regard to non mulesing.

Non Mulesing Positives

• Increase weaning and post weaning weights
• Increase value of skins
• Less tearing of skins on the processing chains at abattoirs
• Less animal stress
• Improve the relationship with animal lovers (we are)
• Ease of management after tailing
• Reduced animal losses at lamb marking.
• Reduce cost at lamb marking
• Who wants to mules anyway

 
Leahcim believes that not having to mules is achievable and encourages all sheep breeders to seriously look at their options as 2011 is not that far away in breeding terms and you need to start your breeding program now to meet these deadlines.

 

Excitement of Breeding Poll Merinos

It is the most exciting time I have seen in the sheep industry with good wool prices, excellent red meat prices, very good skin values, excellent prospects for surplus sheep sales and the availability of accurate genetic breeding tools through Sheep Genetics Australia, called Merino Select. Being able to understand and measure the genes how sheep produce high value red meat and with superior fibre (that is clean and green) make what we are doing *BREEDING FOR THE FUTURE*, profitable and rewarding.