"We have created a brilliant animal but this issue could knock the breed off the rails. Sure we need to work towards a bare breech but we need to be very careful we don’t compromise the entire breed through this."

Few know Merino genetics as intimately as Rockbank principal John Crawford who is warning of the pitfalls for the entire wool industry of a dramatic move towards bare breech animals.

He said there were a number of powerful genes involved with such animals that seriously compromise both wool production and quality.

"Bare breech animals have thinner skin and there is far less blood to produce wool. They are a completely different animal in many ways and produce an inferior fibre and less of it, they are often not in tune with their environment with less do-ability. Taking wool off around the breech also takes it off around the belly, the eyes, points and ears, leading to a potential skin cancer problem."

But the Australian Veterinary Association this week suggested the only future for the wool industry is through an easy-care, bare breech animal.

"The resulting phenotype will have no or low wrinkles, no or reduced wool

coverage on the points (extremities) and a naturally bare area in the breech. These

sheep will be easier to shear and in most cases will not need crutching. Overall,

these genotypes tend to be more robust, have better reproduction and lower

husbandry costs in a range of commercial environments," AVA president Dr John Karlsson said.

Mr Crawford said Dr Karlsson may as well purchase a crossbred ram for the future of the wool industry as that was the direction in which he was heading.

"Let’s not panic by going for a quick fix method of bare breech breeding. We’ll end up with an early maturing animal with flat skin designed to produce meat more than wool."

Having produced some of the dominant Merino bloodlines in Australia Mr Crawford admits he has vested interest in keeping woolgrowers on his finer wool types but he insists this is not what drives him on this issue.