Blyth Merinos selection criteria has been the same for three decades.

For 30 years Ron and Cheryl Blyth have been working towards their ultimate aim of running a large flock of highly productive Merino ewes: fertile with a great carcass and high fleece weight, yet be an “easy care” animal.

“The emphasis has always been on a Merino that produces a quantity of quality wool with a carcass that carries meat,” Ron said.

“Our flock has ASBV measurements for meat and fat, which are several times the industry average.”

Ron and Cheryl are achieving many of the breeding aims they determined long ago, yet continue to refine those ambitions in line with current market trends and seasonal conditions.

In collaboration with the late John Pike, Ron formed a flock of Merino ewes growing wool that is bright, has staple length, has superior processing qualities and producing progeny that give the option for shearing twice yearly without the need for fly prevention.

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Blyth Merinos can now boast of weaning 100 per cent from their maiden ewes and 130 per cent from their mature ewes, along with excellent growth rates.

From an AI joining, Ron has recently weaned 92 lambs from 65 ewes (including some maidens), with the lambs weighing an average of twenty two kilos at eight-nine weeks of age.

Initially, Ron and Cheryl established a ram breeding flock to produce sufficient sires for their commercial flock, but with interest from other commercial woolgrowers in their genetic direction, they expanded their stud to offer rams for sale at an annual on-property auction.

“These days with an AI program and using the best of our ram lambs, we are advancing genetic change within our stud,” Ron said.

“We retain less than 2 per cent of rams produced and so there will a good selection of rams available for sale.”

Ron and Cheryl have invested heavily in genetically changing the rear end to eliminate mulesing.

“We no longer need to mules our sheep and along with our soft and bright wool, we are breeding a sheep that is pretty much resistant to fly strike,” Ron said.

The hope is to breed Merino sheep that will satisfy wool quality, and meet the demands of meat processors and groups with ethical concerns.