PLAIN BODIED MERINO SHEEP WITH 

HIGH FLEECE WEIGHTS AND NO MULESING

by Dr Jim Watts - March 2008 

After the first joining to SRS® Merino rams with smooth and wrinkle-free skins, I expect that half of the lambs will not need to be mulesed. Woolgrowers can transform their Merino flocks into plain-bodied animals that do not need mulesing within 5 years, or 2 generations of sheep.

SRS® Merino Studs (such as Parkdale) are producing sheep that have high fleece weights and low fibre diameter, high lambing percentages, and good growth rates. In response to a clear objection on the part of European users of Australian Merino wool to the apparent "softening" by AWI on their commitment to phase out mulesing by 2010, AWI has recently unequivocally re-affirmed the 2010 deadline for mulesing to cease. Furthermore, it is clear that AWI has been informed by the large Swedish clothing retailer H & M that their immediate policy is to source only un-mulesed wool.

 Now is the time to focus clearly on breeding plain bodied sheep and away from wrinkly sheep. Parkdale Merino Stud is developing a remarkable stud flock of Merino and Poll Merino sheep. The sheep are plain-bodied and often bare breeched, are not mulesed and produce deceptively high fleece weights of very soft wool. Fertility is rising rapidly with some mobs reaching lambing percentages of 130% to 160%. The sires have exceptional length of body, solid bone and fit the desired "triple wedge shape". Necks are long and the faces very open.

  Parkdale Merino stud stopped mulesing in 2004. With an annual rainfall of 550 mm, Parkdale Merino Stud is producing ewes with fleece weight 8.1 kgs, fibre diameter 19.8 micron and 110% lambing.