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- April 22, 2012
2012 Shearing Encouragement Awards Announced
- Details
Nominations are now open for the 2012 SRS® Classic Shearing Encouragement Awards it was announced today.
The SRS® Classic Ram Selling Group established the Awards in 2011 to help talented young shearers and wool handlers in the Central West region of NSW get ahead in the industry.
President of the SRS® Classic, Norm Smith, said that the group was delighted with the response to the Awards last year and looks forward to receiving more nominations from up-and-coming shearers and wool handlers in 2012.
"The Shearing Encouragement Awards are really important in recognizing and retaining talented young shearers and wool handlers in the industry at a time when the national flock is building again," Mr Smith said.
"We were amazed by the energy and enthusiasm of last years' winners, Tom Hutchinson of Gilgandra (shearer) and Samantha Gordon of Dubbo (wool handler) who have gone on to achieve great things in the industry."
Nominations are currently being sought from young up-and-coming shearers and wool handlers in the Central West region of NSW and the Awards will be announced at the Dubbo Show on Saturday 19 May 2012.
Awards
1. SRS® Classic Shearing Encouragement Award
Open order to the value of $1,000 to be spent on shearing supplies and training
2. SRS® Classic Wool Handler Encouragement Award
Open order to the value of $750 to be spent on shearing supplies and training
The SRS® Classic Ram Selling Group consists of seven Central West Merino breeders who work together to promote the many benefits of SRS® Genetics. They are Bella Lana, Boxleigh Park, Glenwood & Mumblebone from Wellington; Gullen Gamble from Yeoval; Hilltop from Mudgee; and Parkdale from Dubbo.
Thanks to TAFE NSW Western Institute and Shearing Supplies for their support of the Awards.
The 8th Annual SRS® Classic Ram Sale will be held on Saturday 13 October 2012. For more information go to the SRS Classic Webpage
Media Contact:
Ian Smith, CEO of the SRS® Group
0417 020 429
- December 15, 2011
Selecting for Fat Improves Lamb Survival in Merinos
- Details
Selecting for Fat Improves Lamb Survival in Merinos
Recent field observations made by SRS® Merino breeders, Mark and Vicki Murphy, of Karbullah Poll Merino Stud, Goondiwindi, Queensland, suggest that lamb survival was increased when rams with high Australian Sheep Breeding Values (ASBV) for Eye Muscle Depth and Fat Cover were used. By contrast, lamb survival was about 20% lower when sired by rams with low breeding values for muscle and fat (see Table 1 below).
- October 10, 2011
Records Fall at SRS Classic Ram Sale
- Details
It was a record breaking SRS® Classic Ram sale on Saturday with 82 elite SRS® Merino and Poll Merino rams averaging an amazing $2,101 with the top priced ram fetching $5,000.
A record crowd of around 200 people attended the 7th Annual Classic reflecting the strong demand trend towards truly all purpose Merinos with that are highly profitable, low maintenance and extremely fertile.
- October 20, 2011
SRS Monaro Tops at $6,600
- Details
In only its second year, the SRS® Monaro Ram Sale at ‘Severn Park’, Cooma, reached an amazing $6,600 for the top priced ram and saw the overall sale average increase by 30% to $1,471.
Buyers travelled from as far afield as Tasmania, Victoria and Northern NSW to snap up 67 of the 70 elite Merino and Poll Merino rams on offer from 8 leading SRS® studs. This continues the strong demand trend for truly all-purpose Merinos which are highly profitable, low maintenance and extremely fertile.
The top priced ram, which smashed the previous sale record, was sold by Trevor and Sarah Ryan of Richmond Merinos, Quandialla, NSW, to the Crawford family of Wallendbeen, NSW. The Mumblebone Merino Stud of Wellington had the highest sale average of $1,740 which was up $300 on 2010.
SRS® Monaro Ram Selling Group President, Trevor Ryan, said he couldn’t be happier with the sale result.
“To average close to $1500 and attract buyers from 3 States in only our second year, it is obvious that the SRS® Monaro is building a reputation for delivering elite SRS® Genetics that perform,” Mr Ryan said.
“Buyers really appreciate the fact that all of the SRS® Monaro studs work together to identify genetics ‘fit for purpose’ with the majority of sale rams displaying Australian Sheep Breeding Values (ASBVs).”
“We also adhere to a strict code of ethics in terms of how we do business which gives commercial sheep producers piece of mind when buying our rams. To put it simply, success breeds success,” Mr Ryan added.
The eight member Studs of the SRS® Monaro Ram Selling Group are:
Bella Lana – Scott and Anna Brien, Wellington
Blyth – Ron Blyth, Adelong
Boxleigh Park – Bruce, Geoff and Hugh Taylor, Wellington
Glenwood – Norm and Pip Smith, Wellington
Mumblebone – Chad and Lou Taylor, Wellington
Parkdale – Don, Pam, Scott and Robert Mudford, Dubbo
Richmond – Trevor and Sarah Ryan, Quandialla
Sherwood – Henry and Julia Bridgewater, Nimmitabel
For more information on the SRS® Breeding System and registered SRS® Studs go to www.srsmerino.com
Media Contact:
Ian Smith
0417 020 429
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Official Video:
Photo: Top Priced Ram at the SRS Monaro Sale (Pictured with Trevor Ryan from Richmond Merinos and John Crawford)
- September 29, 2011
SRS Breeders Lead Industry on Uptake of ASBVs
- Details
Recent data shows that SRS® studbreeders are among the leading users of Australian Sheep Breeding Values (ASBVs) through the national MERINOSELECT program with over 70 per cent actively using these genetic selection tools to achieve rapid improvement of flocks.
ASBVs have been available in Merino sheep since 2003 through the MERINOSELECT scheme but the uptake by Merino breeders has been slow with only 35% of rams sold in Australia using breeding values.