Poll Merino facts for kids
The Poll Merino is a special type of Merino sheep from Australia. What makes them special? They don't have horns! These sheep were developed in Australia to be easier to manage. They are a popular choice for farmers today.
What Makes Them Special?
Poll Merinos are big, strong sheep. They grow up quickly. Their wool is soft and a nice color. They keep all the good qualities of other Merino sheep.
Why No Horns?
The lack of horns in Poll Merinos is controlled by a single gene. This gene has different versions, called alleles, that decide if a sheep will have horns or not.
Having no horns is a big plus for farmers.
- Poll Merino rams (male sheep) don't get "poll strike." This is when maggots grow behind their horns, often from fighting. This can make them sick.
- They are easier to crutch (trim wool around their rear) and shear (cut off their wool).
- They are less likely to get stuck in fences or bushes.
- They are generally easier for farmers to handle.
- Older male sheep (called wethers) also don't grow big, curved horns.
How They Started
Early Days
The idea of hornless Merino sheep started a long time ago. In 1825, a farmer named Alexander Riley was the first in Australia to get a hornless ram. He wanted to start a flock of Poll Merinos. This ram came all the way from Germany.
Later, in the 1880s, some big sheep farms like Boonoke and Wanganella started selling "poley" or hornless rams. The first real effort to breed the modern Poll Merino happened in the 1880s by the Munro family at Webollabolla in Moree, New South Wales. This farm is the oldest Poll Merino farm in Australia.
Growing Popularity
More Poll Merino farms started in the 1930s. The Kirkby Poll Merino farms began in 1932. Boonoke Poll started in 1934, and Merryville Poll in 1938.
A very important person in the history of Poll Merinos was Otway Falkiner. In 1934, he started the Boonoke Poll Stud. He found 13 rams that were born without horns out of nearly 9,000 rams. He used eight of these special rams to breed with 400 ewes (female sheep) the next year.
The first Poll Boonoke rams were sold to the public in 1937. Otway Falkiner's work was so important that Boonoke was registered as Poll Flock No. 1. This was in the first special section for Poll Merinos in the Australian Stud Merino Flock Register.
Today, many sheep farms are breeding Poll Merinos. This is because farmers want sheep that are easier to care for.
