SRS™ Breeding at Coolawarra since 1995
As sheep breeders, Coolawarra's early selection of imports were for very fine, well conformed animals but they were hampered by lack of density available to them in the early nineties.
It was in 1995, that Coolawarra, recognising the need for the industry to adopt a highly focussed breeding programme to ensure moving towards commercial wool production as fast as possible, the stud employed Dr. Jim Watts. Jim was a leading Australian fibre scientist and breeding consultant that during the eighties and nineties, his innovative research has taken Merino stud breeders to the forefront of improved wool genetics.
At about this time Coolawarra had access to lineages of denser animals with greater history of pedigrees from the US and Peru, which, amongst other things gave the herd, greater predictability in their breeding results. Then, adding selecting for SRS© traits and, culling with discipline those negative traits alpacas such as poor wools, or reproductive histories or weak conformation, the stud began to fast track its development.
Since the advent of embryo transfer procedures, the stud's hard years of selection under Dr Jim Watts guidance, and the stud's research work, has given the stud a finer edge with consistent high follicle density levels and other attributes demanded of an 'Advanced' alpaca herd. Embryo Transfer techniques has enabled the spread their top genetics into the herd by harvesting embryos from their donor elite females, and simultaneously ensured the culling of low density or course stock out of their gene pool, as these females become recipient dams only. This has taken the levels of advanced attributes ahead in leaps and bounds as it permeates throughout the plantel or stud herd at Coolawarra.
Throughout their history, hand in hand with advanced breeding techniques, and with respect for Australian judges views, the stud has never shied away at competing for the front lines in any show ring, and learning by the experience, win or lose.
It has been an exciting journey. Since 1992, when Coolawarra won Grand Champion female at the inaugural alpaca exhibit at Sydney Royal, the stud has gone on to win Supreme, in 2001 with Coolawarra Queen of the Desert, unusually a female, and, at a time where Peruvian imports usually championed most showrings. Purrumbete Minderoo & Coolawarra Jaminu both also won Grand Champion titles in 1998 and 2000, at the Sydney Royal, the largest Agricultural Show in the Southern Hemisphere.
The now transgenerational improvement of Coolawarra's hembra population has moved the herd into such advanced levels that it is rare to see Coolawarra progeny outside a front line in any show ring. Further, our females are sort for embryo transfer donor procedures, purchased at auction and via private sales, from some of the most respected breeders throughout Australia and internationally.