Merino · Data
Data breeds confidence.
Every trait a producer gets paid for — grouped, defined, and shown against the breed average. This is the evidence behind Trigger Vale.
Five groups. Every trait with a name, a number and a trend.
Each group opens with how we breed for it — the correlations it moves and the companion traits it must be balanced against. Pick any trait to read what it measures, our thinking behind it, and, where a genetic trend exists, Trigger Vale plotted against the breed average.
- Source
- MERINOSELECT
- Analysis run
- 21 June 2026
- Data quality
- 90% · 5-StarHow they score it
- Accredited by
Growth
Fast early. Moderate mature.
We push hard for early growth to finish lambs quickly, then hold mature size in check. Fast-growing lambs off the place sooner, on ewes that stay cheap to run.
Best selected alongside
No trait is bred in isolation — growth is balanced against these to keep the whole animal in shape.
Maternal Weaning Weight
The ewe's genetic contribution to her lambs' weaning weight through milk and mothering — separate from the lamb's own growth.
MWWT is the milk-and-mothering side of weaning weight. It's a trait most studs don't focus on. We're working to lift it, because it drives ewe efficiency — how much lamb a ewe can wean off her own frame.
The target is a ewe that weans close to her own body weight: more output from the same ewe, without leaning on extra feed.
When you select for MWWT, these move with it
- More of the lamb's weaning weight comes from the ewe's milk and mothering
- Lifts kilograms of lamb weaned per kilogram of ewe
- Higher milk lifts the ewe's own feed demand — balanced against mature sizeManage
Carcass
Fat to survive. Muscle to yield.
Eye muscle & fat. Fat is the sheep's fuel tank — reserves to thrive under high stocking rates and dry conditions, on less feed. Eye muscle is the yield and shape buyers pay for. Never over-fat, so lambs still make heavy export.
Eating quality. IMF for flavour, shear force for tenderness. Meat that eats well, every time.
Best selected alongside
No trait is bred in isolation — carcass is balanced against these to keep the whole animal in shape.
Yearling Fat Depth
Genetic GR fat depth at 10–15 months. More fat means better reserves for holding condition and surviving dry autumns.
Fat is the sheep's fuel tank — the energy reserve they draw on when feed or the season turns. The bigger the genetic fat reserve, the bigger the tank.
Sheep lay it down when feed is cheap, and draw on it when feed isn't — so you're not refilling with expensive feed when it's dry or at lambing. That's our best tool for a variable climate, and one of the genetic differences we're proudest of.
A bigger fuel tank means greater system efficiency.
In the lamb: enough fat to finish — so store and feeder sellers move a healthy, ready lamb — but never over-fat, so the finisher can still take it out to a heavy export carcass on good yield.
When you select for YFAT, these move with it
- Higher stocking rates
- Lower maintenance feeding
- Earlier puberty and ewe lamb joining
- Energy for lambs to thrive from birth
- Lambs that hold weight in the tough times
- Can increase micronManage
- Can reduce wool cutManage
Wool
Mules-free wool the market wants.
A high-value fleece that resists fly strike and fleece rot — mules-free, and built for modern markets. We hold micron and fleece value where they pay, and let meat drive the program.
Best selected alongside
No trait is bred in isolation — wool is balanced against these to keep the whole animal in shape.
Yearling Fibre Diameter
Wool fineness at 10–15 months. More negative YFD breeds finer progeny.
We run slightly broader than the finest studs by design. A touch more micron is the trade we make for meat, fat and easy-care — and it lands the clip at a commercial 19–20 micron that still pays.
This is a deliberate position, not a drift: fineness is held where it is profitable, not chased to win a fleece show.
When you select for YFD, these move with it
- Finer wool lifts price per kilogram
- Comfort factor improves
- Can lower fleece weightManage
- Can lower growthManage
- Can lower body weightManage
- Can lower staple lengthManage
- Can lower staple strengthManage
Reproduction
More lambs weaned per ewe joined — for less.
We build it into the ewe: the condition and rearing ability that get lambs on the ground without a feed cart doing the work.
High weaning rates, driven by high lamb survival.
Best selected alongside
No trait is bred in isolation — reproduction is balanced against these to keep the whole animal in shape.
Conception
Did the ewe conceive? The genetic difference between animals for conception as adults.
Conception is the trait that sets up joining — do the ewes get in lamb. It's the first gate on everything that follows.
Getting them in lamb without leaning on the feed cart comes from balancing conception with the body condition (BC) ASBV — the genetic condition and fat reserves that keep a ewe cycling on time.
When you select for CON, these move with it
- More ewes in lamb per joining
- Lifted by body condition and fat reserves
Welfare & Resilience
Less labour. Less cost. Less hassle.
Plain breeches, low dag and worm resilience — bred straight into the flock. No mulesing. Less crutching, less drenching, less mustering. Built-in body condition means they thrive with less feed.
Best selected alongside
No trait is bred in isolation — welfare & resilience is balanced against these to keep the whole animal in shape.
Condition Score
Genetic body condition as an adult. Higher CS breeds ewes that hold condition on their own — the resilience trait behind low-input reproduction.
More output, on less feed. BCS is the trait behind thriving under pressure — high stocking rates or dry seasons. Ewes carry condition genetically, so they hold it when feed's tight instead of eating into your feed bill.
It pays where it counts: joining and lambing. Higher BCS at those two times means more lambs — half a condition score across the year is around 20% more lambs marked. Bred in, not fed in.
When you select for CS, these move with it
- Better survival and fertility under feed pressure
- Works with fat cover to hold the ewe through a dry autumn
- Less supplementary feeding and labour