CENTRE PLUS progress
In 1990 on advice from Advanced Breeding Services we started an elite Nucleus at Centre Plus, to guarantee that the best ewes were actually mated to the best rams, rather than just relying on chance.
The first year CP began single sire mating, 1989, we used a ram that had been entered in the Hay CTSE Scheme. (Central Test Sire Evaluation)
By 1992 Advanced Breeding Services were able to link on Farm breeding programs to CTSE, provided correct management procedures had been followed. Centre Plus was immediately able to make use of this service, to become the first in Australia to link on farm progeny groups to CTSE.
Also in 1992 Centre Plus began FEC (fecal egg counts) on all young rams, after progeny from semen of a leading Industry sire began dying from worms while progeny from all other sires did not.
In 1995 Centre Plus saw a need to also benchmark some of the multi-purpose traits of our sheep.
We organized a PIRD trial (in conjunction with the PLG White Suffolk Group) to compare the Lamb rearing performance of our ewes compared to the performance of first cross ewes. The trial was run over two sites and two years.
The very positive results of this trial were even a surprise to us.
The genetic linkage to CTSE was done each year, till the Stud Merino Breeders were given control of CTSE and stopped the practice.
From this point Centre Plus lobbied Industry service providers to provide an Industry Across Flock database similar to BREEDPLAN for cattle & LAMBPLAN for meat sheep. These requests met strong resistance for fear of offending Traditional Stud Breeders.
In September 1996 LAMBPLAN - MERINO merged CENTRE PLUS and THE GRANGE data, creating the first two Merino Studs in Australia to be linked together genetically.
This was made possible by the fact we had progeny tested many common Industry Sires.
Within 10 days of Centre Plus announcing the MERINO LAMBPLAN achievement, Advanced Breeding Services announced the formation of MERINO BENCHMARK. A closed database with eight members, that was to be linked through CTSE.
In 1997 Centre Plus made the decision to close its Central Test Nucleus Flock from input of all live animals, because of the OJD threat. Move to semen only for outside genetics..
A new contribution Flock Nucleus was formed to harvest the elite animals from members flocks.
This flock is fully pedigree recorded giving exciting new information on the genetic level of all members flocks. This flock is used to harvest specific genes from members flocks and exert selection pressure on traits like fertility. Eg by procedures like mating for only 34 days, yet still culling all non rearing ewes.
In 1998 CENTRE PLUS also entered its data in MERINO BENCHMARK after the membership opened.
For the period these two databases were operating before the advent of the SGA MERINOSELECT database, CENTRE PLUS had sires on top or close to the top on many of the Index’s, in both databases.
Also in 1998 we began another trial to benchmark our multi-purpose genes, against those of breeds such as SAMM (South African Meat Merino) Rambouillet, Finn, Waridale, & Dohne.
Quarter crosses of these breeds now form a LAMB PLUS flock which is an internal benchmarking flock, that has captured some exciting fertility and growth genes to compare with.
In 1999 Centre Plus became the first Merino Stud to use the LAMBPLAN ~ MGS, TGRM (Total Genetic Resource Management) mating program. This program allows us to control inbreeding, while making faster genetic progress.
1999 also saw the commencement of EMD (eye muscle depth) measurements and fat scoring.
Along with scoring the six traits learned about at SRS workshops. (Softness, Crimp Definition, Lustre, Nourishment, Bundles, Skin.)