BREEDING OBJECTIVES
Glen Iris Polls were early adopters of eye muscle and body fat scanning technology beginning the practice in the early 1990’s.
Identifying critical traits that drive profitability, we have develop and nurtured genetics that produce high performing sheep to give producers a multi stream income.
This commercial approach has been tried and tested by Glen Iris Polls. Our ‘risk management’ enterprise has evolved into one producing a high value wool cut, and more lambs that are fast growing. This results in a more profitable sheep enterprise.
Structure, conformation and visual wool assessment are critical and are a the top priority for inclusion into our stud. We then use ASBV’s to enhance the quality of our selections. The primary traits that we focus on are growth, muscle and fat, reproduction, fleece weight, staple length and micron. Our plain bodied sheep have always had low breech wrinkle and cover, and we are currently generating data for our WEC.
WOOL
Glen Iris Polls main fleece line averages around 23 micron and 70-74% yield.
The stud has used objective measurement for its wool since its inception. A well nourished, white, long-stapled (110-120mm), free opening wool stands up best in this 600ml rainfall environment. Our stud classer Michael Elmes is critical in assisting us in these visual traits. Our key ASBV selection criteria for wool are clean fleece weight, micron, CV and staple length.
Our goal is to gradually reduce our micron without sacrificing our carcase, reproduction, and fleece weight figures.
We join our ewes for five to seven weeks from November to January without the use of hormones or teasers. Across the flock our conception rates range between 120-155%.
Our long history of muscle and fat scanning has improved our fertility, as well as our lamb survival and growth rates. A ewe with good eye muscle depth and fat cover has a greater likelihood of successfully conceiving and rearing multiple lambs, particularly in tough seasons. Some of our clients are also successfully joining ewe lambs and achieving excellent results.
Our lamb survival in our mature ewes averages 95% for singles and 75-85% for twins with ewe mortality <2%. We are involved in the T90 program and are striving to achieve this 90% survival goal through management and genetics.
In the early 90’s Glen Iris was selling wether lambs over the hooks. We asked the abattoir owner how our lambs compared to second cross. He said, “Some of yours are very good – but there is more variation”.
We started scanning and selecting for muscle and fat depth in 1994 and have seen a gradual improvement in carcase traits over this time. The wether lambs we sell over the hooks as heavy trades (22-24kg) are now reaching those weights a full four-six weeks quicker than 15 years ago.
We also pay very close attention to fat depth measurement. We do not want our sheep to be too lean. Good fat cover is related closely reproduction and lamb survival, as well as meat eating quality.
Glen Iris is located close to Gundagai Meat Processors (GMP) who are industry leaders in over the hooks carcase quality measurement and producer feedback. We are looking forward to working with GMP to receive data on lean meat yield and intramuscular fat (IMF).
WOOL
Glen Iris Polls main fleece line averages around 23 micron and 70-74% yield.
The stud has used objective measurement for its wool since its inception. A well nourished, white, long-stapled (110-120mm), free opening wool stands up best in this 600ml rainfall environment. Our stud classer Michael Elmes is critical in assisting us in these visual traits. Our key ASBV selection criteria for wool are clean fleece weight, micron, CV and staple length.
Our goal is to gradually reduce our micron without sacrificing our carcase, reproduction, and fleece weight figures.
FERTILITY
We join our ewes for five to seven weeks from November to January without the use of hormones or teasers. Across the flock our conception rates range between 120-155%.
Our long history of muscle and fat scanning has improved our fertility, as well as our lamb survival and growth rates. A ewe with good eye muscle depth and fat cover has a greater likelihood of successfully conceiving and rearing multiple lambs, particularly in tough seasons. Some of our clients are also successfully joining ewe lambs and achieving excellent results.
Our lamb survival in our mature ewes averages 95% for singles and 75-85% for twins with ewe mortality <2%. We are involved in the T90 program and are striving to achieve this 90% survival goal through management and genetics.
MEAT
In the early 90’s Glen Iris was selling wether lambs over the hooks. We asked the abattoir owner how our lambs compared to second cross. He said, “Some of yours are very good – but there is more variation”.
We started scanning and selecting for muscle and fat depth in 1994 and have seen a gradual improvement in carcase traits over this time. The wether lambs we sell over the hooks as heavy trades (22-24kg) are now reaching those weights a full four-six weeks quicker than 15 years ago.
We also pay very close attention to fat depth measurement. We do not want our sheep to be too lean. Good fat cover is related closely reproduction and lamb survival, as well as meat eating quality.
Glen Iris is located close to Gundagai Meat Processors (GMP) who are industry leaders in over the hooks carcase quality measurement and producer feedback. We are looking forward to working with GMP to receive data on lean meat yield and intramuscular fat (IMF).
Our primary genetic and management goals are:
- 6kg of high quality 21-23 micron wool
- Conception rates of 135-155% for mature ewes and 120% for maiden ewes with <5% dry from a December/January joining without hormones
- Lambs survival >85% across the whole flock
- Ewe mortality <2% annually
- Industry leading lamb growth rates allowing fast turnover of wether lambs and the joining of ewe lambs.
- Maintain a moderate adult ewe size of 60-65kg standard reference weight.
- Easy care sheep that require less inputs and management for fly strike and worms.
