PERENDALE - Breed Objective

The stud Perendale breeder should aim to produce a true to type, dual purpose sheep as a practical enterprise for farmers to have dual income from the sheep flock, potentially alongside other on-farm activities. Perendales need to be able to perform and achieve at their highest standard, regardless of the type of country that they are moved to. High yielding, robust and structurally sound progeny that have the ability to shift and excel in any climatic conditions is very important.

To ensure the quality of Perendales, there is a commitment to producing the best genetically based Perendale flocks we can with the emphasis on retaining all the attributes for which Perendales have become well known.

The Perendale is robust and hardy and able to withstand the conditions where Australian seasons can vary from lush pastures to stemy dry grasses. The Perendale is an efficient forager!

Perendale sheep are well known for their worm resistance and tolerance through the genetic gains of NZ breeding. That is, the Perendale sheep breed naturally has some resistance to worm burden and can be quite tolerant of any worms present, reducing signs of varying degrees of infestation. Some studs in Australia (even Southern Victoria) may only worm their sheep once, upon weaning, if at all.

Meat is highly sought after and Perendales produce great quality (colour and taste) protein. The aim for a commercial enterprise to raise twin bearing lambs to 35-40kg weight would be ideal for various sale options within a 15-20 week timeframe.

Wool is the other important asset of the Perendale. The aim is for staple length of 10-12cm, being long and regular over the entire fleece from 12 months' wool growth at 32-38 micron for adult sheep. Crimp should be well defined and even from butt to tip. Reasonable fleece weight would be considered 4-5kg. An attractive chalky white colour, showing virtually no lustre, should be soft and bulky to handle with good density.

The Australian Perendale Association's stud and commercial flocks are selected both subjectively (visual) and objectively (statistics) to complement each other. At various times, studs may use Artificial Insemination or Embryo Transfer to ensure genetic gains are achieved. More often, natural mating occurs with selected sires at a ratio of 1:75. Individual measures and breeding programs can be further discussed with breeders.