ABOUT KOONWARRA MERINO STUD
Over 80 plus years,
the Koonwarra type has been bred to ensure a genetic balance of quality, white, soft-handling fine/medium to medium Merino wools on great carcasses.
Originally founded by J.S. Williams in 1947, the well-known Koonwarra traits of easy care, doing ability, high fertility and very good mothering ability for lamb survival rate continue to be the essence of the stud’s proven breeding plans.
Since C.T. Merriman & Son took full ownership of Koonwarra in 2014, the stud’s focus has been on breeding productive Merinos able to handle a wide variety of typographies and climates that cut plenty of wool off plainer skin types, while retaining their well-established staple structure, tip type and wool quality. As the stud classer, Jono Merriman is strict on Koonwarra sheep having good confirmation and spring of ribs along with strong heads and bodies, ensuring they are built for the longevity of the ewe production life cycle.
At the forefront of genetics for several decades, Koonwarra has been a winner of major championships and awards at all key shows in the eastern states of Australia, while rams have been purchased by other Merino studs and flock operations from across Australia, New Zealand and Argentina. This is further attested to by the success of Koonwarra clients and bloodlines at wether and ewe competitions across New South Wales and Victoria.
Koonwarra’s breeding program aims to uphold and improve on the stud’s historical qualities, continuing with the long-proven breeding plans and steady 18 to 20 micron averages, while exploring new avenues for improvements. The qualities that characterise a Koonwarra Merino are:
Koonwarra Benchmarking
To ensure Koonwarra Merinos are delivering on their breeding goals, annual sire and flock subjective assessment classing for body type and structure and base figure benchmarking is undertaken.
This includes assessing the following parts of the Koonwarra flock to assess micron and other fleece figures, alongside weight considerations as well as meat indexes by:
Koonwarra Key Comparison Indicators
Key comparison indicators used to assess Koonwarra Merinos, made over several generations of breeding instead of chasing the avoid hybrid vigour impact, include:
Koonwarra's Health Status
Koonwarra is proud to confirm the Merino and Poll Merino studs are accredited Brucellosis free – No. CS96/23, undertakes annual vaccination program with OJD approved Guidar and is vendor declare Footrot free.