The foundation of Edale's superfine sheep were stud ewes mated to sires of the Snowy family of the Hillcreston superfine stud, Bigga, NSW. Hillcreston have frequently held the world record price for wool. The first lambs were dropped at Edale in 1988. Two rams were purchased from Hillcreston - one in 1988 and the second in 1989.

Following the involvement of Dr Jim Watts in the classing in 1991, semen was sourced from other superfine and fine wool sires including Rokeby, Glanna, Gilgunya and Stockton in the search for productive pliable skin genetics. Progress was slow, as good superfine sheep with pliable skin genetics were scarce. However, 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 sire 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. The danger in presenting new breeding strategies is over-selling their advances. Frustrations with the rate of progress of the elite and SRS(Trade Mark) 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 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. As those who are serious woolgrowers know, the absence of prickle and softness is the most critical preference of the consumer.

However, it is the relationship between the genetic biology of the primary and secondary follicles and their ancilliary 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 breeding to advance early maturity in the superfine flock occurs complementary to maintaining these wool objectives .

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" Superfines are now estimated to have an average S/P in the stud of around 35) and extreme fibre bundling rams will be progeny tested over stud ewes.
  
  
• Applying coating, biological shearing and focus 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, cashmere, alpacca and synthetic fibres.
  
  
• Maintain the very low FEC/worm resistant character of the superfine sheep
  

CONCLUSION:

We are seeing wool performing evidence in the Edale Superfine 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 superfine superior spinning wools.

The other major emphasis will be on the commercial wool side. We know that low curvature wool gives superior processing at the topmaking and spinning stages. However, Italian buyers continue to prefer high curvature superfine wools at this stage. Further, research into the shrink properties of these wools is being conducted and the eventual results may an impact on the curvature that gives the most elite performance. We will continue to breed two streams of superfine wool: one with low curvature; and the second with high curvature for the micron.

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, 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.