MEDIUM FINE HISTORIC BACKGROUND

The foundation of Edale's medium fine sheep were ewes obtained from the dissolution of the Bullock family stud, Koonya in 1961; ewes purchased from the NSW based stud Boonoke in 1962; and ewes purchased from the Riverina based medium wool stud, Goolgumbla, when in 1964, Mr Peter Bullock established the Kardella Merino Stud at "Kardella", Moora. Ewes were added from Cranmore and sires were sourced from Boonoke, Goolgumbla, Uardry and others.

In 1986, PW & JI Gardiner purchased the stud sheep for the purpose of advancing medium fine wool. In 1989, the first mating took place to test the properties of soft rolling skin genetics that were being proposed by Dr Jim Watts. The first 3 years' breeding showed progress though slow, in some of the breeding objectives, for example softness, while the search for the genuine SRS? genes in sheep took place across Australia. It was only with the 1993 test mating resulting in the 1994 drop that the elite genes demonstrated more strongly their impact in the progeny. Over the following years, with careful breeding practice, the traits have showed a steady and positive affirmation as seen in the performance data.

BREEDING BY PEDIGREE

Breeding by pedigree is the essential element of the stud breeding program adopted by Edale. Without identifying the progeny with the dam in all cases and the where possible, the rate and quality of genetic progress reduces to simply population genetics rather than structured breeding. Pedigree recording, with the aid of a computer pedigree package has taken place since 1989. Edale was amongst the earliest in Western Australia, and Australia to have adopted this practice.

Our view is that the female is the more important part of the breeding practice. It dictates a crucial focus on the classing procedure. Once a maiden ewe is classed into the stud, using visual classing supported by measurement aids (rather than the reverse) the selection criterion is determined solely by the ewe's ability to breed on. A lot of ewes would have been classed out - wrongly - had it not been for the pedigree records of the progeny. There is enormous power in this system - aiding both the genetic progress in the stud and the predictability of sheep's performance.

BREEDING OUTLOOK

Breeding is a long term business. Selling is often short term. Edale's medium fine predecessor, the Kardella Stud, in 1989, had some desirable genetic characteristics. It also had animals having some wrong wool characteristics. For one, it had a high proportion of heavy tight skin animals.

The danger in presenting new breeding strategies is over-selling their advances. Frustrations with the rate of progress of the elite and SRS(TM) based breeding strategies easily occurs when over optimistic expectations are raised.

The rate of progress is heavily dependent on the quality of the ewe base. Clear changes can be seen after 6 years though even after 10 years objectives rise to new levels as one strives to achieve the quality level to which one aspires.

With careful breeding practice, and pedigreeing of progeny against the dam compared to any to any other sheep breeding system, the rate of progress is visible and relatively fast. It requires continual attention to classing of the sheep and the mating decisions. It is not a straight road to achieving the breeding objective. Softness, in our system, is the one uncompromising quality, even though scientists are yet to fully understand it. Breeding for worm resistance, commencing in 1998 is becoming increasingly important while early maturity traits are complementary to the quality wool breeding focus.  As those who are serious woolgrowers know, softness is the most critical preference of the consumer and for these wool producers, this cannot be let go.

However, it is the relationship between the genetic biology of the primary and secondary follicles and their anciliary development that is the critical variable underlying the bundling of fibres by which the very high fibre alignment; the reducing fibre diameter; the absence of micron blowout with either age or excessive feed; and the higher cut per head are characterised.

The continuing development of the Edale stud and flocks will depend on the same essential steps. These are:

• Progeny will be pedigreed to their dams in all cases, and sires where singularly mated.
  
  
• Ewes (stud & flock) will continue to be classed every year.
  
  
• Each stud ewe will have the mating decision considered individually based on how it has bred on in the case of ewes 3yo + and for maiden ewes based on the assessment of its particular visual qualities with support from its wool measurements.
  
  
• Rams with higher S/P ratios ("Edale" Medium fines are now estimated to have an average S/P in the stud of around 35-40, having started from 25 in 1989) and extreme fibre bundling rams will be progeny tested over stud ewes.
  
  
• Applying coating, biological shearing and strategic lot feeding practices that cause the high potential of the secondary/primary follicle ratios to be realized at the genetic level, and the presentation of these elite wools in a manner that gives buyers more confidence that wool can compete with cotton and synthetic fibres.
  
  
• Analysing the capacity of Edale sheep to satisfy the quality meat markets, in particular conducting ultrasound tests to determine if the genetic trait of eye muscle and fat depth  and together with body weights of young animals, this information is submitted to the Merino Genetic Services database for the calculation of EBVs for these traits.  As mentioned in our Performance data, Edale progeny had, as of December, 2004, 3 sheep as trait leaders in the Post Weaning body weights.

CONCLUSION

We are seeing wool performing evidence in the Edale Medium fine sheep arising from a focussed breeding strategy. There is further to go, but we feel very confident from our own breeding experience to recommend that woolgrowers consider adopting a similar strategy if they are seeking to produce medium fine superior spinning wools, be it from station or agricultural environments.

The other major emphasis will be on the commercial wool side. With the softness that we are now confident has permeated the wool clip, we have a product that is different. This differentiation is sufficiently well developed to allow a good part of the medium fine clip to be marketed direct to mills. It is a matter of finding other growers with similar wools to build a critical mass for supply.

Finally, much of the premium of these wools will diminish if the basic housekeeping quality is not achieved. That is, tensile strength, vegetable matter content, % mid break has to be within processing tolerances to attract the bidders. In times where we are approaching a return to luxurious fine wool and a rising wool market we need to capture the best of it by committing the inputs to achieve good housekeeping.