POLLS - polled Merino rams - are the flavour of the month, according to Norm Weir and most of the other stud breeders who were exhibiting at last week's Loddon Valley Merino Field Days at Serpentine.

Of the 14 studs on display, five were designated poll only, while another six or seven were running a poll stud alongside their horned Merinos.

Norm Weir, who runs the Kerrilyn stud at Dunluce, said the push to a polled sheep was about developing an easy-care sheep.

Shearer and stud breeder Alan Harris, from Costerfield, said shearers definitely preferred the polled sheep.

But one breeder determined to stick with the horned variety was Bob Rollinson, principal of the Concordia and Goolgumbla Merino studs.

"Horns are one of the best indicators of constitution," Bob said.

Boost for national clip

THE national wool supply received a boost last month, with bigger-than-expected receivals. AWTA tested a mere 91 fewer bales last month than in February last year.

For the eight months to the end of February, receivals were down 72,800 bales, or 5 per cent.

Initially the national production forecasting committee had been counting on a 7 per cent cut to the 2009-10 clip, to 330 million kilograms, or 1,875,000 bales.

On the latest trends the committee might be able to find an extra 60,000-70,000 bales for this season.

One other interesting trend to emerge, which will give little comfort to superfine producers, is that the supply of 18.5 micron and finer wool for the season to date was a relatively high 55,586 bales, up more than 5000 bales on the same time last year.

Odds and ends in demand

THE sharp rise in the market for cardings (short wools and oddments) has wool classers and growers wondering why they should be so fussy about segregating the good from the bad.

This week the AWEX Merino carding indicator was 667c/kg clean, up 18 per cent since mid-November, while the Eastern Market Indicator was up only 7 per cent for the same period.

Exporters believe the strong demand for the likes of 'bellies and crutchings" reflects strong demand from China for knitwear.