RUSSIA’S SUPER SHEEP.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 264, 20 August 1936, Page 8

RUSSIA’S SUPER SHEEP.

AN AUSTRALIAN EXPERIENCE CLAIM OF SCIENTISTS. Russian scientists claim to have produced a merino sheep—the Askanian it is called—weighing up to 1751 b for ewes and 2901 b for rams, and yielding an average annual cut per head of 151 b of wool of 64’s-70’s quality. If such a type could be fixed, its development would bo of great interest to Australia. Experience in this country would lead to the conclusion that the claims

of the Russian scientists even if correct at the moment, are not likely to bo substantiated in a few years time, states -the “Sydney Mail.” _ It may be accepted as a basic fact with all commercial sheep that the bigger the frame the bolder will bo the wool. Tlieie are plenty of exceptions to this generalisation, but they prove nothing. A 64-70’s wool is bordering on the finesome buyers would accept it as tine and a flock of sheep that could average 151 b per head of that quality would be undoubtedly super sheep. An average of half that is good cutting in the fine-wool districts of Australia; and we do not know any strong-wool flock in. which the sheep would naturally be much bigger—that can produce such yields. .

To a. largo extent, wool qualities are influenced by both climate and pasturage, in addition to breeding, and the country that will produce a. true fine fibre will not at the same time grow a very heavy fleece. Stud animals, with everything in their favour, occasionally do so, but they are as fai ahead of flock sheep as prize bulls are of scrub cattle. That is the experience in every country that grows wool, and from all wo' can learn of the conditions in Russia’s pastoral areas they are certainly not as well suited to the production of merino wool as most parts of pastoral Australia. There are no fixed carcase weights for fine, medium and strong woolled merinos, but in a general way it may be taken that fine-wool flock rams will not weigh as much as 1001 b. If, therefore, Russia is breeding them up to nearly three times that weight the development is revolutionary. The biggest fine-wool ram I have. ever seen in Australia weighed 1601 b, and he was an exceptional stud sheep. The American Rambouillet merinos are a good deal heavier than ours, and it is by crossing with them that the Russians have produced their heavy cutters, but no sheep on the range will hold either their size or their covering unless the conditions suit them and 'they can get plenty of feed. lii Australia the only way we could do it would be by artificial means, and these, as a rule, are uneconomical.