Why is genomics important?

We are at the dawn of a genomic age, moving from genetic predictions that are based solely on pedigree and performance data to those that now include genomic data, information about the variation in an animal’s DNA and the individual genes it possesses.

We have moved from making predictions about an animal’s genetic makeup to assessing it directly.

Why genomics?

Genomic information has a variety of potential uses.

• Sire / dam verification – important for forward thinking Breed Societies
• Reporting major genes, such as Scrapie, Myostatin and major fertility genes
• Increasing the accuracy of breeding values.
  • Genomic data adds massively to our knowledge of traits that are only expressed in one sex (like milk), expressed later in life (like longevity) and hard/expensive to measure (like methane or meat-eating quality)
• Increasing the robustness of genetic comparisons between flocks.

Genomics augments the accuracy of the breeding values that Signet produce for well recorded sires, while introducing new information for previously unrecorded sheep that provides them with a fairer and more robust starting point when entering a genetic evaluation.

Ultimately those breeds that have genomic breeding values will get more accurate and more reliable breeding values, helping breeders to decide which animals to retain, measure or sell for pedigree breeding.