A rigorous sheep breeding and selection policy has seen lambing intervention fall to 0.5% across the 3,000 Easy Care ewe flock owned by Co Antrim farmer Campbell Tweed.
Providing an update on flock management at an open evening on his farm outside Ballygally last week, Campbell outlined how any ewe that gives problems at any stage of the year, is marked for culling.
“We want our sheep flock to be run on an 8am to 5pm basis. The management aim is to carry out essential tasks only, leaving ewes to rear lambs on their own,” Campbell said.
While the focus is primarily on maternal and lambing traits, terminal traits are not neglected.
In 2019, carcase weight averaged 20.7kg with 91% of lambs hitting U and R grade conformation at fat class 2, 3 and 4L.
Flock recording
The flock is performance-recorded through Signet UK and Sheep Ireland. Lambs are weighed at eight weeks old, and again at 12 and 20 weeks of age. Lambs are also scanned for eye muscle and fat.
All stock rams are bred on the farm. No rams have been purchased for six years
Weight records and slaughter data are then used to produce breeding indices for the flock, which have increased by 128% and 175% for ewe lambs and rams respectively over the past eight years.
All stock rams are bred on the farm. No rams have been purchased for six years.
Breeding
To avoid inbreeding, ewes are run in 23 breeding families. Scanning results are typically 140% and the aim is to increase this to 150%. All ewes lamb outdoors from mid-April.
Over 1,300 ewe lambs are selected as breeding replacements annually.
“We select almost double the number of replacements needed. This gives us greater selection pressure to make genetic gains. We have been breeding ewes to shed wool and are close to having 100% of breeding animals possessing this trait now,” said Campbell.
Worm control
Lambs are wormed in early summer for nematodirus and again at weaning.
“We do monitor worm burdens before dosing. While we drench sheep, we are breeding animals to operate in an environment with low anthelmintic use” he added.
Performance recording crucial
to genetic gain
The lack of performance recording by pedigree sheep breeders is a major barrier to making genetic gain in sheep breeding, AFBI researcher Dr Steven Morrison told farmers attending the event on the Tweed farm.
According to Morrison, approximately 35 pedigree flocks in NI submit data for performance-recording databases. This means only around 2% of rams sold have breeding indices available.
“The low number of flocks recording traits means the rate of gain is slow. Those that are recording have generally focused on terminal traits as these are visual and can be quickly improved, unlike maternal traits which take a much longer time frame,” said Morrison.
Ram compare
The UK wide Ram Compare programme aims to promote the benefits of using high index rams.
Early results from farms involved in NI showed using 10 high-index sires over 700 ewes was worth an additional £5/lamb compared to the average ram.
Genomics improves the accuracy of data collected, and as it identifies parentage and DNA makeup
“On average, a third more lambs hit E and U grade conformation and slaughter age was 11 days earlier. All combined, the high-index ram can easily deliver £800 to £900 in additional output within a couple of years,” said Morrison.
He also outlined the importance of genomic testing to speed up the rate of genetic progress in breeding programmes.
“Genomics improves the accuracy of data collected, and as it identifies parentage and DNA makeup, it gives an insight to what traits have been passed on to progeny at an early age.
“This means farmers can identify replacements, and also rams, for specific traits” he said.
However, the cost of testing remains a huge obstacle at £20 to £30 per head. Until this cost is addressed, the uptake of genomics will be extremely low, acknowledged Morrison.
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A rigorous sheep breeding and selection policy has seen lambing intervention fall to 0.5% across the 3,000 Easy Care ewe flock owned by Co Antrim farmer Campbell Tweed.
Providing an update on flock management at an open evening on his farm outside Ballygally last week, Campbell outlined how any ewe that gives problems at any stage of the year, is marked for culling.
“We want our sheep flock to be run on an 8am to 5pm basis. The management aim is to carry out essential tasks only, leaving ewes to rear lambs on their own,” Campbell said.
While the focus is primarily on maternal and lambing traits, terminal traits are not neglected.
In 2019, carcase weight averaged 20.7kg with 91% of lambs hitting U and R grade conformation at fat class 2, 3 and 4L.
Flock recording
The flock is performance-recorded through Signet UK and Sheep Ireland. Lambs are weighed at eight weeks old, and again at 12 and 20 weeks of age. Lambs are also scanned for eye muscle and fat.
All stock rams are bred on the farm. No rams have been purchased for six years
Weight records and slaughter data are then used to produce breeding indices for the flock, which have increased by 128% and 175% for ewe lambs and rams respectively over the past eight years.
All stock rams are bred on the farm. No rams have been purchased for six years.
Breeding
To avoid inbreeding, ewes are run in 23 breeding families. Scanning results are typically 140% and the aim is to increase this to 150%. All ewes lamb outdoors from mid-April.
Over 1,300 ewe lambs are selected as breeding replacements annually.
“We select almost double the number of replacements needed. This gives us greater selection pressure to make genetic gains. We have been breeding ewes to shed wool and are close to having 100% of breeding animals possessing this trait now,” said Campbell.
Worm control
Lambs are wormed in early summer for nematodirus and again at weaning.
“We do monitor worm burdens before dosing. While we drench sheep, we are breeding animals to operate in an environment with low anthelmintic use” he added.
Performance recording crucial
to genetic gain
The lack of performance recording by pedigree sheep breeders is a major barrier to making genetic gain in sheep breeding, AFBI researcher Dr Steven Morrison told farmers attending the event on the Tweed farm.
According to Morrison, approximately 35 pedigree flocks in NI submit data for performance-recording databases. This means only around 2% of rams sold have breeding indices available.
“The low number of flocks recording traits means the rate of gain is slow. Those that are recording have generally focused on terminal traits as these are visual and can be quickly improved, unlike maternal traits which take a much longer time frame,” said Morrison.
Ram compare
The UK wide Ram Compare programme aims to promote the benefits of using high index rams.
Early results from farms involved in NI showed using 10 high-index sires over 700 ewes was worth an additional £5/lamb compared to the average ram.
Genomics improves the accuracy of data collected, and as it identifies parentage and DNA makeup
“On average, a third more lambs hit E and U grade conformation and slaughter age was 11 days earlier. All combined, the high-index ram can easily deliver £800 to £900 in additional output within a couple of years,” said Morrison.
He also outlined the importance of genomic testing to speed up the rate of genetic progress in breeding programmes.
“Genomics improves the accuracy of data collected, and as it identifies parentage and DNA makeup, it gives an insight to what traits have been passed on to progeny at an early age.
“This means farmers can identify replacements, and also rams, for specific traits” he said.
However, the cost of testing remains a huge obstacle at £20 to £30 per head. Until this cost is addressed, the uptake of genomics will be extremely low, acknowledged Morrison.
Read more
Dawn takes full control of Dunbia
Breeder turns down bid of €22,000 for champion ram at Suffolk premier
Ulster Wool announces no advanced payments
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