Automated stock recording

Press, 27 December 1985, Page 12

Automated stock recording

Computerised stock recording, selection and sheep drafting has been offered in one system by the Wool Testing Authority and been shown to stud sheep breeders at several field

days. Mr Russell Emmerson, of Forest Range station, in the Lindis Pass, related his experience with a partially computerised system to the recent superfine production field day at Black Forest station, on Lake Benmore. His aim was to produce to a narrow specification range, he said, and the hogget fleece testing, weighing and computerised selection process was the way to this objective. Forest Range runs an elite flock of 1200 superior

Merino ewes among a base flock of 17,000 ewes. The ram hoggets are fleece tested twice to assess their suitability as sires. The results . from the second sampling are generated by the Wool Testing Authority and fed into the Forest Range computer. They can be graphed and cut-off levels inserted.

Then at shearing, selections are made according to the test information, while the fleeces are baled in micron ranges. Mr Emmerson said the time was right for a group breeding scheme among Merinos and that a symbol similar to the Kiwi symbol should be introduced to show that the sheep contributing to a wool line

had been individually tested. The W.T.A. computerised system has been developed in association with an ear tag manufacturer, a computer company and woolgrowers.

As an extra on the approach being used by Forest Range, the W.T.A. system can be coupled with drafting gates to automatically direct sheep according to the historical test information on fibre diameter.