BREEDING OF ROMNEY-CROSS SHEEP.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XXX, Issue 4, 20 April 1925, Page 213

BREEDING OF ROMNEY-CROSS SHEEP.

WOOL-IMPROVEMENT DEMONSTRATION AT WALLACEVILLE.

J. G. COOK,

Wool Instructor, Live-stock Division*

In view of recent statements by the Bradford trade alleging deterioration in New Zealand Romney-cross woolchiefly as regards increasing hairiness or medullation of fibre—it will be of interest to sheep-farmers to record the practical breeding operations carried out by the Department of Agriculture with a small ■ ewe flock at the Wallaceville Veterinary Laboratory Farm, near Wellington, during the past five years. The work, it will be noted, was commenced well before the Bradford criticisms in. question made themselves heard. Without entering into this particular controversy . on one side or the other, it may be claimed that the Wallaceville results have provided a valuable demonstration of what can be accomplished in wool - improvement by any farmer within a comparatively short period. It has been shown that Romney-cross wool can be readily bred with a high degree of purity of fibre—in fact, that this, our predominant crossbred-wool product, is not inherently or necessarily defective as regards its internal structure. , RECORD OF WALLACEVILLE FARM FLOCK, I92O TO I924. The ewe flock in 1920 was a mixed one of both Lincoln-Romney and Romney-Lincoln cross. The ewes were a fairly, good line- as regards constitution, but there were many defects'; in conformation, such as overlong faces, narrowness between the eyes, legginess, and lightness and roundness in the bone. The wool grown by the flock, which ranged

from 36’s to 40’s in spinning count, was of a very inferior quality. It was what is termed hairy, most of the fibres being medullated ; pure kemps were also to be found in some of the fleeces. Moreover, the wool was too open for proper resistance to adverse climatic influences, with resultant unevenness of diameter in the fibres throughout their length. On looking over , the line one. would be doubtful as to there being any really pure wool in any of the fleeces, and this was confirmed byjmicroscopical examination.

Year 1920. — In this year the flock was divided, half being mated to a Southdown ram and half to a Romney. The Romney ram (No. 1) was an animal of sound constitution. In conformation he had a well-shaped head, good width between the eyes, face a nice length, and good neck, shoulders, and hind quarters, together with strong, flat bone. The wool grown by this ram was what is ' termed strong that is, about the coarsest quality obits breed, 40’s to 44’s —with a fair amount of character in it. With but few exceptions the resulting crop of lambs from this mating showed a noticeable improvement. - in

the quality,""character, and density of the wool. There was also a general improvement in the conformation of the lambs as compared with their dams. All the ewe lambs were kept, and were shorn when hoggets at the latter end of 1921. Any of those that had thrown back too much to their dams were culled out at this time, the fleeces taken off them being an excellent guide for . this purpose. A microscopical examination of several samples of this line of hogget wool proved very clearly that good progress had been made by • eliminating

a large proportion of the hairy element that had been present in the dams’ fleeces. The wool consisted largely of what is termed broken medullated fibres, thus giving a strong indication that if these hoggets were mated with a fine-woolled Romney ram their progeny would grow a very high proportion of pure wool.

Year 1921.- —The strong-woolled Romney ram (No. 1) was mated with the same ewes in 1921, and a similar result was apparent in the crop of lambs from this mating. A few of the coarsest of the ewe

lambs were culled out, but the bulk were kept, and were shorn as hoggets in 1922. An examination of the fleeces showed the same results as in the previous line of hoggets, which was only to-be expected as the animals were full sisters. On the farm we now had two lines of. ewes by the same ram, out of the same ewes.

Year 1922. — The strong-woolled ram was now replaced by a finewoolled Romney (No. 2). Many of the oldest ewes had been culled out and sold about this time. The new ram was of splendid constitution, and possessed good conformation — neck well set, shoulders

level and set forward, level back, good loin and hind quarters, wellshaped head, breadth between the eyes, and face a nice length. The wool, grown by this ram was very even in quality—46's to 48's — had considerable character. It also possessed a fair degree of density —a most desirable feature. , He was, in fact, a very good all-round animal, and it is a pity he . could not have been used on a larger place. This ram was mated with the ewes on the farm, including the ewehoggets lambed in 1920 and shorn, in. latter.part of 1921. The crop of lambs from the mating was very good, showing a decided improvement in both conformation and wool. All the ewe lambs were kept

on the farm, and were closely examined when they were brought in for shearing in 1923. Only two were culled out on account of wooldefects throwing back to the original line of ewes in 1920. This hogget wool showed the great improvement that had taken place by using ram No. 2. The wool was more even in quality; it had a higher spinning count; also- greatly increased. density (number of fibres per given area of skin) ; the yolk was carried out to the tip, giving strength to the fibre (thus enabling it to undergo the combing process with very little loss in noil). - There was also increased character, making it a more

elastic, pliable, and soft handling wool (thereby enabling a high class of material to be made from it). ■ A microscopical examination of samples taken from each fleece showed very clearly the great difference between the wool of these hoggets and samples taken from their granddams. A few of the fibres in some of the samples still showed -slight medullation, but this was broken or patchy, the other parts of the fibre being pure wool. In several of the samples all the fibres were pure wool. The' scaling on the fibres and the evenness of diameter throughout their length were also very satisfactory.

Year 1923. — In this year ram No. 2 was mated with the-same ewes as in 1922, and also had for service the ewes from the 1921 lambing. The lambs produced from this mating were again very good. The ewe lambs were kept and shorn as hoggets at the end of 1924. The wool was excellent to the eye and touch. Samples were taken out of each fleece, and a microscopical examination showed the same good results as in the 1923 hogget wool. This was to be expected, the two lots, being full sisters.

Year 1924. — For the mating season of 1924 another Romney ram (No. 3) was secured. He was lacking a little in conformation, and although he . could be classed as a fine-woolled Romney his wool did not have the same degree of character in it, nor the density, that characterized

the fleece of ram No. 2. These deficiencies are certain to be shown in his progeny, and will be watched for very closely at the 1925 shearing for future guidance. ■ It may be recorded that the hoggets of 1924 averaged the'very satisfactory fleece weight of nJ lb. at shearing.

Summary. — In 1920 the farm had a line of ewes growing a very inferior wool, rightly termed “ hairy.” These ewes were mated with a. strong-woolled Romney ram (No. . 1) for two years in succession. This ram was then disposed of, and some of the oldest original ewes, were sold off. In 1922 a fine-woolled Romney ram (No. 2) was brought to the farm and mated with the remainder of the original ewes and ewes from the first mating of ram No. 1. In 1923 more of the original line

of ewes were sold, and ram No. 2 was mated with any that were left, also with the two lots of ewes produced by the mating of ram No. 1 with the original ewes. In 1924 another fine-woolled Romney ram (No. 3) was procured and mated with the flock, in which were included both lots of ewes sired by ram No. 1 and lambed in 1920 and 1921 respectively. Ram No. 3 was also mated with the first lot of ewes by No. 2 ram, lambed in 1922. GENERAL. The prices paid for the different rams here referred to were : No. 1, £15 ; No. 2, .£8.; and No. 3, £8 8s. Such prices are within reach of any sheep-farmer who desires to effect an improvement , in his woolclip. ' For the current (1925) season a fine- and dense-woolled Romney ram has been purchased at a price of £12 12s. He is ; being mated with-the ewes from the 1922 and 1923 crossings and a few ewes of •' previous matings. Results will continue to be watched and records taken. - , The maxim that “ The ram is more than half the flock ” has been fully borne but in the results of the breeding conducted.at. Wallaceville. A sound, practical demonstration has been given' of the great improvement that can be effected by using, good rams and culling out the most defective ewes in the flock. .The covering grown by the ewes in the past has been brought from medullated fibres,-with- kemp among the fleece, up to the present fleece, in which there is practically no kemp, and .' the greater proportion ; of ■ the fibres - are pure wool —in some of the samples every fibre being pure. It has been clearly shown -that Romney crossbred sheep in New Zealand will grow as much pure wool as any other breed or cross. A ~ It may be added . that the' dual-purpose feature of the Romney breed—meat as .well as woolhas not been lost sight of in the breeding operation's here recorded. The wether lambs from. the several matings have been regularly sold as high-grade fat stock. ’ 1 ' Sheep-farmers visiting Wellington and- interested in this- matter will be welcome to inspect samples ; of the wool referred to at the Livestock Division- headquarters, Dominion Farmers' Institute Building.

Shipment of Green Cheese. — the course of a recent address on the . cheese trade to the Dairymen’s Association of Western Ontario Dr. J. A. Ruddick concluded his remarks regarding the shipping of green cheese as follows : “ Before we leave this matter I should like -to refer once more to the foresight and precautions taken by our chief competitors, the New-Zealanders. Although New Zealand cheese, even if shipped direct from the hoop, is nearly three months old before it can reach the consumer, the New-Zealanders have taken the precaution to legislate that no cheese shall be offered for grading until it is fourteen days old. A person who knows the conditions in both countries is sure to be struck by the fact that while in Canada we seem to be possessed of a desire to market our cheese at the earliest possible moment, in New Zealand a matter of a week or a month’s delay is scarcely taken into account. I think the New-Zealander realizes that- delay very often means improvement in quality, and that, so far as the market is concerned, it is just as likely to be favourable at one time as another. There are no recognized periods now when prices are likely to advance as there used to be in the old days with its off season of production.” .