Big day of looking at sheep, picking them apart and comparing them to each other. Now back to the theory.
0 Comments
Off to Burrawang again for a Dorper Sheep School. We had so much fun last year and learnt so much that we are doing the Senior School again. It is a great opportunity to spend time with other breeders and share experiences. Can't wait, after two weeks of minding the farm while Martin was away visiting family in Mount Isa I'm keen for a change of pace.
Last week we drenched our young ram and ewe lambs, as they were showing signs of brown scour worm and needed prompt attention. While we were drenching, it occurred to me how much genetic progress could be made towards worm resistance in the flock, by the power of the draft gate. Not all the lambs showed signs of worm and were still gaining weight, others had dirty back ends. If we drafted all the dirty bums out, and checked their parentage, we would start to build a picture of worm susceptibility in our various family lines. A useful start before looking into genetic testing. We have finally reached the numbers in the stud flock to begin refining them on qualities other than phenotype.
A useful resource for worms is http://www.wool.com/Grow_WormBoss.htm This morning we were greeted by snow on the mountain for the first time. The golf ball on the top is the Captains Flat Radar. We didn't get any snow at the house, maybe next time. Who knows what to expect with another Sheep Graziers alert coming our way.
|