Work began in 2013 when The New Zealand Sheep Industry Transformation Project supported the establishment of the nucleus breeding flock to develop a new fine-wool sheep genotype with an improved carcass, reproduction and animal health. The nucleus flock was farmed at Stonyhurst in North Canterbury.

SX Fine Wool Sheep aimed to create a breed with 20 to 22 micron wool and ewes weaning 130% to 135% lambs that would kill at 20kg carcase weight at seven months of age.

The east coasts of both islands were seen as the logical range for SX Fine Wool sheep and the recent development of a breeding value for footrot was a crucial milestone — the FeetFirst project successfully developed a genomic breeding value (gBV) for predicting resistance to footrot in fine-wool sheep, another outcome of The Sheep Industry Transformation Project.

The breed started small, mating up to 10 rams per season in the early years in a progeny test designed to isolate genetics with the desired attributes.

In 2015 Dr Mark Ferguson of NZ Merino said that what was initially seen as a far-fetched idea, was becoming reality.

“It seemed a far-fetched idea but we are getting good progeny on the ground.”

The project involved merging genes with meat attributes, including some from Australia, with desired wool characteristics and animals with footrot resistance.

By carrying a more valuable fleece and with the fertility of a crossbred, the earning potential of an SX Fine Wool sheep would be significantly higher than a crossbred.

Discovering an effective means of selecting for footrot resistance was crucial to extending the range of fine wool sheep and was made possible with the Primary Growth Partnership support.

In early trials, SX Fine Wool lambs outperformed traditional strong wool breeds in grower returns.