Centre plus in the new millennium
In 2000 a new ram breeding flock began, Centre Plus Kambah at Young NSW, using proven top sires and ewes from the CP Central Test Flock. This flock is also fully pedigree recorded.
2004 saw the creation of Centre Plus WA at Kojonup in WA. This flock being formed with the use of ET using genetics from the Centre Plus Central Flock at Tullamore.
Centre Plus is playing a role in progressing Industry research. Examples of this are scoring animals for temperament, then lobbying Industry to search for a means to create EBV’s for Temperament. Another Centre Plus proposal and trial has led to the Sheep Industry having what in now called Pedigree Matchmaker.
All Centre Plus ram breeding flocks are run as one large breeding program with several management groups scattered around Australia. They are owned and managed by those running the flocks. The breeding program is organized as one flock with all animals linked in the Centre Plus central database.
The group has a culture of research and addiction to the excitement of controlling rapid genetic progress into the unknown. Because each member has part ownership, the collective adrenalin motivates members to contribute and manage at a more meticulous and higher level.
Centre Plus genetics have been used in many outside industry research trials, while our internal database and genetics are also being used in a large amount of industry research extension.
Centre Plus runs a program to continually benchmark and monitor our genetic progress.
Semen from our all-purpose merino genetics are sold into six states with constantly increasing demand as the product speaks for itself. Sales running around 5,000 ewes doses a year.
Rams sales in a declining market have passed 300. Only 90 going to contributing breeding members.
There are currently 18 members of Centre Plus, running approx. 20,000 breeding ewes.
The semen and rams sold outside the group have a much larger influence on the Australian Sheep Industry.
All Centre Plus animals are fully pedigreed and measured and this information is forwarded to the national SGA MERINOSELECT database where they are linked genetically to the other 1.3 million merino animals in the database.
There are over 170 Merino Studs in Australia measuring their animals and entering their data.
Centre Plus currently has sires ranked at the top of this database on several different economic values.
Centre Plus members are justly proud of their achievements, if somewhat humbled by the immensity of it.