Eating quality and health benefits are set to be the lamb industry’s weapon in the war against falling consumption of red meat in Australia.
It is why the Gilmore family, of Tattykeel, Black Springs, NSW, is on a mission to master eating quality in their Australian White flock through breed selection and genetic development.
Through rigorous breed selection, Australian Whites have been developed over the past decade as a haired meat breed, adapted to the country’s extreme seasonal conditions.
At the helm of their ambitious breeding program is Graham Gilmore, who, while conquering critics, is working with animal genetics expert, Associate Professor Aduli E.O. Malau-Aduli, at Townsville University, to verify claims.
“Just like the cattle industry and the chicken industry, we want to be able to breed toward eating quality, not wait until the point of slaughter,” Mr Gilmore said.
Selective line breeding is used to enhance the positive traits of their sheep, as well as comprehensive artificial insemination and embryo transfer programs to maximise genetic gains.
DNA samples are matched with an estimated 10 grams of muscle tissue taken from the best Tattykeel Australian White ewes and rams, and analysed by Prof Aduli for intramuscular fat (marbling), fat melting point and fatty acid composition with 99.9 per cent accuracy.
“The testing is done on pasture fed (sheep) - we are chasing genetic gain, not feed related gains,” Mr Gilmore said.
“The results have more than backed up the initial testing. The pure Australian Whites are significantly better than the crosses in intramuscular fat (IMF), melting points and omegas.”
In the latest testing, 100 2017-born Tattykeel Australian White ewes returned impressive results, with the top ten ewes recording IMF melting points from 28-30 degrees, IMF between from 7-8pc, and Omega 3 from 40-52 milligrams per 100 grams.
More than 250 sheep breeders are set to put the claims to the test, with Tattykeel Australian Whites being the feature breed on the menu of the industry-first, Woolworths Lambition.
Graham Sinclair, Omaha, at Temora, NSW, has supplied the meat for the Woolworths Lambition menu. The sucker lambs, 14 to 16 weeks-old, were finished on pasture and a barley lick-feeder. They averaged 22.45kg carcase weight, and dressed at 56pc.
The Sinclair’s have been heavily involved in the development of the Australian White as one of first to trial the breed in a commercial environment in 2010.
“We’re backing the product – we have huge confidence in it,” Mr Gilmore said.
“We’re not obsessed with intramuscular fat, we’re obsessed with the low melting points and the high omegas of the meat.”
Embryo transfers programs have been conducted on ewes who record high levels of omega above 34mg, as well as a melting point below 34 degrees, which are characteristics of the breed that has bestowed it the title “Wagyu of the sheep world”.
The melting point of most sheep breeds start from about 40 degrees, whereas Tattykeel Australian White samples averaged 33 to 35 degrees, according to Prof Aduli.
Prof Aduli said it was a similar story with fatty acid profiles, indicating outstanding omega 3 qualities.
Mr Gilmore said rams used in their nucleus flock of elite animals had omegas ranging from 40-69.9mgs.
Chefs across the country are supporting the eating quality research, including Elma’s Dave Verheul who has given the Australian White their tick of approval due to the meats fine texture and melting point.
“But not all of the Tattykeel Australian Whites have these wonderful characteristics, similarly neither does all Wagyu have the traits that have made it so famous,” Mr Gilmore said.
“That is why we need need to test to identify the superior animals and then breed towards these traits.”
Mr Gilmore’s is passionate about breeding sheep, his family, and leaving a legacy in the industry.
“The critics inspire me - it is like going out on a football field and being told you can’t win, and winning,” he said.
“What’s the prize? Fulfillment, setting out to achievement what I wanted to.”