Weaners should be run on stubbles in early summer if available, as these are a useful source of unharvested grain. The fibre diameter of wool from heavier animals will still fall towards the break of season but the minimum diameter along fibres will be higher than that from lighter animals. This will reduce the 'blow-out' in fibre diameter normally associated with the onset of green feed. Strategies to avoid tender wool Genetics Staple strength is a moderately heritable trait, and can be improved genetically by selecting animals with high staple strength. These gains depend on the amount of selection pressure applied to staple strength and also on the other traits in the breeding program.
Gains are cumulative and permanent.
Pasture quality Better pastures can help reduce nutritional stress in summer and autumn. Maintaining a high percentage of subterranean clover, which offers nutritious burr, can offset the poor feed quality of dry grass. Where they can be grown successfully, blue lupins and lucerne are useful in improving summer and autumn nutrition. Crop stubbles or forage crops are also useful in maintaining liveweight and fibre diameter during early summer. This reduces the proportion of midbreaks thereby improving the wool's processing performance.