Lustrous lambs wanted

"We particularly want to understand what proteins or cellular structure may be special to their wool, and then whether these are the same as those in the lustre breeds," says David Scobie, who is leading the lamb quest.

"Studying a naturally occurring mutation with such a dramatic effect on fibre characteristics provides a unique opportunity to understand the genetic and physiological mechanisms affecting fibre quality."

In composites and breeds such as Romney, Perendale, Texel, and in particaular Merino, the lambs are easy to spot. But in normally lustrous breeds such as the English and Border Leicesters, and Lincolns, it's much harder to tell a mutant and a normal lamb apart.

It is the second year such lambs have been sought, but last year the only animal found with the mutation was a wether.

"Since he is missing rather important pieces of reproductive equipment it's not the best news for us, so this season we are again asking farmers to help us in our search," says Scobie.

"If you think you have a lamb with an unusual coat please take another look. Lustrous wool looks quite like mohair from an Angora goat, with a silky or shiny appearance.

"If you think you might have a lamb like that, please call the number given and we'll get back to you to investigate," he told Rural News.

If the lamb turns out to be of the type sought, they'll buy it at normal commercial rates.

In practice that's probably a good deal because the lambs are unlikely to make good commercial animals: the silky fleece does not insulate as well as other wool and they have a habit of not surviving cold weather.

"The mutation also affects tooth development; their lambs' teeth may not be replaced as they get older, which means that they have difficulty competing with other sheep for food.

"If anyone does decide to keep them I say 'good luck with breeding them' because they're pretty hard to keep alive."

To report a possible lustrous lamb, call AgResearch on 07 834 6627 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..