Texel | Avalon Genetics

AVALON Texel

Avalon Texel sheep are a high performance, multi-disease resistant animal. We have put heavy selection pressure on the Texel to grow its multi-disease resistance under very low input conditions. It is also our terminal sire of choice. A New Zealand favourite.

Key traits of Avalon's Texel sheep are:

Great meat, yield, growth and conformation
Focus on fertility and survivability
Focus on low input traits
Able to perform under high parasite challenges
Cleaner points and less dags
Dual purpose and terminal options

New Zealand Low Input Progeny Trial

The results are out for New Zealand’s first low input progeny trial which measured not just performance but also low input traits such as tail length, dag score and worm resistance.

Avalon ram 2318/15, a Texel/Perendale cross ranked third overall based on survival, growth, meat, worm FEC and dag score.

Of the three top rams, 2318/15 had the lowest dag score and shortest tail. He recorded an outstanding 100% result in hogget oestrus which was well above the other sixteen rams in the trial.

Avalon ram 2318/15 Texel/Perendale cross.

Selection for low input traits

No docking, less dagging
97% of total lambs not docked
85% of ewe lambs stayed dag free

Avalon – Dag Score Trait Leader

Avalon has been selecting for low dag score along with worm resistance for over 33years. Their Ultimate ram 3049/15 is the trait leader for dag score in New Zealand (SIL June 2020)

Three of the top 5 rams in New Zealand for dag score are Avalon rams. The top Perendale ram is also an Avalon ram (233/18 ranked 11th).

We don’t dock our Ultimate or Texel cross lambs and expect over 80% to remain dag free.

Rams not selected for dag score can be adding up to an extra $6,000 in crutching and dagging costs (based on contract pricing) over each rams 5-year breeding life.