Sheep

Computed Tomography (CT) scanning is a great tool for identifying superior genetics within terminal sire flocks.

CT provides a welfare friendly way of assessing the total muscle, fat and bone yield in a live sheep. This near perfect predictor of carcase composition can also be used to measure the muscling in different parts of the carcase, such as the rib, loin and gigot.

Farmers that are using EBVs to source breeding stock to improve flock and herd efficiency will also greatly reduce the environmental impact of their livestock systems. This article explains which traits are thought to have the greatest impact on targets set as part of the Climate Change Act (2008) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050. 

In 2023 AHDB launched the UK's first genomic breeding values for sheep as part of Signet's National Hill Sheep Evaluation.

This was a major milestone for livestock breeding and AHDB are now working collaboratively with a number of Breed Societies and Research Institutions to enable other breed types to embrace the genomic opportunity within their breeding programmes. 

Recording schemes were developed to make the process of identifying superior genetics easier. Records of performance are analysed to tease out the non-genetic influences on an animal’s performance so that its true genetic potential can be assessed. This is important for traits that are visible, such as growth rate and carcase conformation, and vital when it comes to maternal traits that cannot be assessed visually.

A collaborative research team has been awarded a £1.1million grant to tackle the devastating impact of Maedi-visna (MV), a chronic infectious disease affecting sheep and goats.

Dupath farm has been part of the RamCompare project since 2017. Ewes are lambed indoors in March before being turned out into grass paddocks as part of a rotational system, lambs are finished from grass from mid-June. In 2023 lambs were sired by Hampshire Down, Shropshire, Suffolk, Meatlinc, Texel and Charollais rams, with a large number of Charollais on test this year. This included recent top-performing genetics compared against sires born over 40 years ago using semen that has been stored for many decades.

Latest breed reports from the RamCompare project the UK’s commercial progeny test for terminal sires. To date we have slaughter data included from 468 rams from 17 different breeds, collecting data from over 44,000 lambs in one of the largest trials of its kind.

In Wales, HCC have supported Signet’s genetic improvement programme for many years; with the Hill Ram Scheme being a major success in introducing genomic technology into national sheep breeding programmes. However for the coming year, budgetary changes mean that HCC are unable to fund:-

• Routine support for Signet’s genetic evaluations for breeders in Wales
• CT scanning (or the genotyping of CT scanned animals) for breeders in Wales

Friday 5^th April saw the first ram sale of 2024 at Exeter Livestock Centre on behalf of the Centurion Group of Dorset Breeders. An entry of 43 Signet recorded sheep, which attracted buyers in person and online across the UK.