What about the Wattles?

Have you heard of Wattles?

Some producers have recently noticed lambs with wattles in their marking cradles.

Wattles are finger like dangles of haired flesh, typically found on the throats of goats, certain breeds of pigs and sheep. They serve no biological purpose and are generally removed during shearing.

A 2022 born lamb with wattles on its neck, pictured here in the marking cradle.

Do you have any lambs with Wattles?

If you have any lambs with wattles or if you have recently seen any lambs with wattles, we would be interested to hear from you.

Wattles are a genetic abnormality in the Merino industry, if you notice lambs with wattles in your flock and you currently DNA test, we suggest you get identify them and get a 50K genomics test on these animals, we are working with NSW DPI and University of New England to identify markers to enable us to future screen for the genes associated with Wattles. 

If you would like to know more please contact Sally Martin on 0400 782 477 or send her an email